NEET-PG cut-off row: Centre forms panel to audit admission system, report in 8 weeks

As the Supreme Court examines the controversial reduction in the NEET-PG qualifying percentile, the Centre has announced a 12-member committee to review the country's postgraduate medical admission system and recommend reforms.

In Short

• The Centre said a 12-member body will study admission gaps
• Judges asked the panel to file its findings within eight weeks
• The January notification cut the general threshold from fiftieth to seventh percentile

The Supreme Court's hearing on the NEET-PG cut-off controversy has now moved beyond the question of reduced qualifying marks, with the Centre informing the court that it has constituted a high-powered committee to conduct an internal audit of the postgraduate medical admission system.

The development came during the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the government's decision to sharply reduce the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2025-26. While the court did not decide on the validity of the cut-off reduction, it said it would examine the broader issue after the committee submits its findings.

A FRESH LOOK AT THE ADMISSION SYSTEM

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told a Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe that a 12-member committee, headed by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), had been constituted through a notification dated July 23.

According to the Centre, the panel has been tasked with examining the existing admission mechanism for postgraduate medical courses, identifying gaps in the current process and suggesting practical, implementable reforms.

Taking note of the submission, the Supreme Court directed the committee to submit its report within eight weeks. The Bench also observed that experts from the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the National Commission for Homeopathy (NCH) may be included if required.

WHY THE CUT-OFF IS UNDER SCRUTINY

The petitions before the court challenge the January 13 notification issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which lowered the minimum qualifying percentile for the third round of NEET-PG counselling.

The reduction brought the general category cut-off down from the 50th percentile to the seventh percentile, making 95,913 additional candidates eligible to participate in counselling.

Petitioners have argued that such a steep reduction compromises the quality of postgraduate medical education and violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

CENTRE DEFENDS ITS DECISION

The Centre, however, maintained that the decision was taken to prevent thousands of postgraduate seats from remaining vacant. It told the court that similar reductions have been made in previous years, including 2023, when the qualifying percentile was reduced to zero across all categories.

According to the government's affidavit, NEET-PG is designed to prepare a merit list rather than certify medical competence, as candidates are already qualified MBBS doctors who have completed their compulsory internships.

The Centre also highlighted that of nearly 70,000 postgraduate seats available in 2025-26, 9,621 seats remained vacant after the second round of counselling, including 5,213 seats in government medical colleges. It argued that the percentile reduction was aimed at preventing public-funded seats from going unfilled rather than benefiting private institutions.

With the audit panel now in place, the Supreme Court is expected to take up the larger questions surrounding NEET-PG admissions after receiving the committee's report.

(With PTI inputs)

- Ends