



Explainer: Why lowering the NEET-PG qualifying cut-off has triggered a storm?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India’s National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on 13 January lowered the qualifying cut-off marks for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 in a bid to fill vacant postgraduate medical seats.
The decision, taken after a request from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has sparked a fierce debate, with the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), which represents junior doctors, calling it “arbitrary" and warning that it undermines the credibility of the medical profession. To ensure the “optimal utilisation" of seats, the General/Economically Weaker Section (EWS) cut-off was slashed from 276 marks (50th percentile) to 103 marks (7th percentile), while the SC/ST/OBC threshold was lowered from 235 marks (40th percentile) to the zero percentile—making candidates with scores as low as minus 40 out of 800 eligible for counselling.
Mint explains the controversy as nearly 18,000 postgraduate medical seats across government and private colleges remain vacant even after the second round of counselling in 2025. The General/EWS cut-off has been dropped from 276 marks (50th percentile) to 103 marks (7th percentile).
More drastically, the qualifying cut-off for SC/ST/OBC candidates was lowered from 235 marks (40th percentile) to the 0th percentile, making candidates with scores as low as minus 40 out of 800 eligible for counselling for postgraduate medical programmes. To be sure, eligibility for counselling does not guarantee admission, which depends on seat availability, preferences, and the allotment process.
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