New Delhi, 23 February (HS): The Union government on Monday defended the reduction in qualifying cut-off percentile for NEET-PG 2025, stating that the measure does not affect clinical competence and that seat allotment continues to be based on merit and candidates’ preferences.
In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the government said thj9e objective of NEET-PG is not to certify minimum competence, as that is established through the MBBS qualification, but to prepare an inter se merit list for allocation of limited postgraduate seats.
The affidavit stated that even after the reduction in percentile, allotment of seats is carried out strictly on the basis of merit and preferences submitted by candidates. It said the measure does not compromise academic standards, alter merit ranking or confer undue advantage on any category of institutions. The policy, it added, aligns with the objective of expanding healthcare access and strengthening medical infrastructure.
The affidavit was submitted in response to a plea challenging a January 13 notification issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which reduced the minimum qualifying percentile for counselling in the third round of NEET-PG 2025-26 across categories. The petition has been filed by Harisharan Devgan and others.
The government said the reduction was a proportionate administrative step to prevent seat wastage and enhance specialist healthcare capacity. It noted that after completion of Round 3 of All India Quota counselling, candidates allotted seats had joined their respective institutions and only 2,988 seats remained vacant, which would not be available in the next counselling round.
The affidavit further stated that eligibility to appear in NEET-PG requires possession of a recognised MBBS degree and completion of a compulsory rotating internship. It pointed out that MBBS candidates must secure at least 50 per cent marks separately in theory and practical examinations to qualify, and that admission to MBBS courses itself is merit-based through centralised counselling.
The government submitted that all candidates appearing in NEET-PG are qualified medical graduates who have completed 4.5 years of medical training and one year of internship. It said NEET-PG is a competitive ranking examination of 200 multiple-choice questions with negative marking and that low or negative scores may result from examination design and relative performance, which cannot be equated with clinical incompetence.
For the academic session 2025-26, the affidavit stated that approximately 70,000 postgraduate seats were available against 2,24,029 candidates, including 31,742 seats under the All India Quota. After Round 2 counselling, 9,621 seats had remained vacant under the AIQ.
The government also noted that reduction of qualifying percentile is not unprecedented, stating that since the inception of NEET-PG in 2017, such measures have been adopted in appropriate circumstances to prevent seat wastage. It said that in the academic year 2023, the qualifying percentile had been reduced to zero across categories.
The affidavit said courts generally refrain from interfering in academic and policy decisions of expert bodies unless they are shown to be arbitrary or unlawful. It added that postgraduate medical training is conducted under supervision of senior faculty and that final competence is assessed through MD/MS examinations, where candidates must secure at least 50 per cent marks in theory and practical components without relaxation.
The determination of qualifying percentile and admission parameters, the government said, is undertaken in consultation with the National Medical Commission and other authorities, taking into account seat availability, healthcare manpower requirements and past administrative practice.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
