SC Seeks Centre’s Response on NEET-PG Cut-off Cut, Vacancy Paradox Under Scrutiny

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and medical regulators on a petition challenging the sharp reduction in qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025–26 admissions. The matter will be heard next on February 6 .

The challenge comes amid a persistent paradox in postgraduate medical education. India offers around 68,000 to 70,000 PG medical seats every year across MD, MS, Diploma and DNB courses. Yet a substantial portion of these seats remains unfilled annually. Over the last three years, 20 to 27 per cent of PG seats between 12,000 and over 18,000 seats each year have gone vacant , even after multiple rounds of counselling.

This year, with more than 18,000 PG seats lying vacant , the exam authority lowered the qualifying cut-off drastically from the 50th percentile to seven for the general category and to zero for reserved categories allowing even candidates with very low or negative scores to participate in later counselling rounds. The decision has drawn criticism from sections of the medical community.

The petitioners argued that altering eligibility conditions after the selection process had begun violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution , contending that aspirants prepare and make career choices based on notified cut-offs and that such changes risk diluting academic standards .

Experts note that the vacancies are not due to lack of candidates . Nearly 2 to 2.3 lakh doctors appear for NEET-PG every year , translating to roughly three candidates per seat . The problem, they say, lies in a mismatch between candidate preferences and available specialties .

Most aspirants compete for a narrow set of preferred clinical branches such as Medicine, Radiology and Dermatology , while seats in pre- and para-clinical disciplines including Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology and Community Medicine attract far fewer takers, particularly in private colleges where fees run into tens of lakhs of rupees . State service bonds and compulsory postings further dampen interest.

Medical educators caution that even sharp cut-off reductions may not significantly improve seat uptake , as candidates are unlikely to opt for unwanted specialties regardless of eligibility relaxation.

The Supreme Court will now examine whether the cut-off reduction is a pragmatic response to systemic vacancies or an arbitrary dilution of standards , a decision that could have far-reaching implications for postgraduate medical education.