Supreme Court Seeks Response on NEET-PG Cut-Off

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Central government and other authorities to respond to a petition challenging the decision to sharply reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for the NEET-PG 2025–26 exam.

The petition questions the move by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which recently lowered the cut-off marks required to qualify for the postgraduate medical entrance test. The plea argues that such a large reduction may affect the quality and standards of medical education.

A Bench of Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the matter and issued notices to the Centre, NBEMS, the National Medical Commission (NMC), and other related authorities.

The decision to reduce the cut-off was taken after officials found that more than 18,000 postgraduate medical seats across the country remained vacant. NBEMS said the step was necessary to ensure that these seats are filled and that medical colleges do not lose valuable training capacity.

However, some candidates and experts have raised concerns. They believe that lowering the qualifying percentile too much could dilute merit and affect the quality of future doctors. The petitioners have requested the court to review the decision and ensure that academic standards are maintained.

The Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to have an important impact on NEET-PG admissions and thousands of medical students across the country.