NEET PG Cut-Off: Single-Digit Scores Land Postgraduate Seats in Medical Colleges

In an unusual and widely debated development, the NEET PG 2025-26 qualifying cut-off has been dramatically lowered, resulting in candidates with very low scores, even technically in the single digits or negative; becoming eligible for counselling and postgraduate (PG) medical seats this year. This change has sparked widespread discussion about medical education standards, merit, and the strategy to fill vacant PG seats.

How Did the Cut-Off Change?
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) the authority that sets eligibility criteria for NEET PG; revised the minimum qualifying percentile for counselling after thousands of PG seats remained vacant following the first two rounds of counselling.

Here's what the revised cut-off looks like for NEET PG counselling:

Due to the way percentiles translate to marks in this exam, the 0th percentile for SC/ST/OBC candidates corresponds to about -40 marks out of 800; literally allowing eligibility even with negative net scores in certain categories.

Why Was the Cut-Off Slashed?
The primary reason given by authorities is the large number of vacant PG seats across government and private medical colleges after multiple counselling rounds. According to official estimates, over 18,000 postgraduate seats remained unfilled even after two rounds of counselling. The government and health authorities said this drastic revision was aimed at maximising utilisation of available seats and avoiding wastage of educational resources.

Admission vs. Eligibility: An Important Distinction
It's crucial to understand that the revised cut-off only determines eligibility to participate in counselling, not guaranteed admission. Even if a candidate qualifies with a very low score or zero percentile, actual seat allocation continues to depend on rank, merit and choice preferences during the centralised counselling process conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

This means that candidates with higher NEET PG ranks still have priority in securing preferred branches and colleges, even though a broader pool of aspirants has become technically eligible.

Concerns Raised by Medical Community
The move has drawn strong criticism from many within India's medical fraternity and professional bodies. Concerns include:

• Dilution of Merit: Leading doctors' associations have argued that sharply lowering eligibility undermines merit and long-term academic standards. Some have described the situation as letting the process turn into a "lottery" rather than a merit-based selection.

• Patient Safety and Quality: Critics warn that loosening eligibility could have implications for the future quality of specialists trained under such relaxed criteria.

• Erosion of Trust: The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) and others have expressed that widely lowering the bar without a transparent justification may erode trust in the medical education system.

In fact, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court of India, challenging the revised cut-off and questioning whether such a dramatic change was justified mid-process. The Supreme Court has issued notices to the government and NBEMS to explain the rationale behind the decision.

Supporters' Perspective
Some medical organisations, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), supported the revision, arguing that filling vacant seats is critical to expanding the pool of specialists and addressing shortages in clinical services and faculty roles. They contend that leaving seats unfilled limits healthcare capacity and wastes educational infrastructure.

What This Means for Aspirants

Eligibility: More candidates, including those with historically low scores are now eligible for counselling and seat allotment.

Competition: While eligibility is broader, real competition remains based on rank and choice order in counselling.

Strategy: Aspirants should focus on secure rank lists and branch preferences rather than the revised cut-off alone.