On Friday (February 6), the Supreme Court raised concerns regarding the lowering of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Post Graduate 2025 qualifying
cut-off scores to zero and negative values. The court noted that a “minus 40” standard itself prompts inquiries. This comes after the Centre repeatedly cited unfilled postgraduate medical positions to validate the decrease. During the hearing, a bench comprising Justice P. S. Narasimha and Justice Aradhe voiced concern over the competing pressures involved. The judges observed that while vacant seats should not go unused, lowering cut-offs due to a lack of candidates should not happen and rather raises questions about dilution of standards. They noted that one argument focuses on preventing wastage of seats, while the other warns against weakening eligibility norms. The bench stressed that a balance must be maintained. “The Bench said that it also has concerns about a minus 40 cut-off and that such a level cannot be acceptable. The Union of India repeatedly kept saying that seats are lying vacant. The Bench acknowledged that seats may be vacant but questioned the extent to which standards are being reduced," Singh said. The judges also considered the Centre’s argument that candidates admitted under the relaxed norms already hold MBBS degrees. However, the petitioners questioned their competence, arguing that an MBBS qualification cannot justify admission if candidates fail to clear the NEET PG exam. Elaborating on the proceedings, Advocate Satyam Singh Rajput (representing the petitioners) told IE that the Bench did not find the government’s justification persuasive that the cut-off reduction was required merely to avoid vacant seats.
NBEMS Lowers NEET PG 2025 Qualifying Cut-off
With more than 18,000 postgraduate medical seats lying vacant nationwide, the Board lowered the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 admissions, bringing them down from the 40th percentile to zero for reserved categories.The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) in the second week of January announced the revised cut-off scores for NEET PG after the lowering of qualifying percentiles.
"The result of NEET-PG 2025 was declared on 19 August 2025. In accordance with the directions of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, vide letter No. U-12021/11/2025-MEC (FTS-8363852) dated 09.01.2026, the minimum qualifying percentile cut-off for counselling of the third round of NEET-PG 2025–26 for various categories of candidates has been reduced," the official notice released in January stated.
SC to Hear Plea Against Lowering NEET PG Qualifying Percentiles on Feb 13
