NEET-PG cut-off cut sees govt PG medical seats filled at shockingly low scores: Report

The situation follows the Union Health Ministry’s decision to significantly lower NEET-PG qualifying thresholds for the 2025-26 academic session, allowing candidates with extremely low, and in some cases, negative scores to participate in counselling.

• NEET-PG cut-offs reduced, low scores fill seats in govt medical colleges
• Doctors express concern over training standards and patient safety
• Low-score allotments seen in core clinical and surgical specialties

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A steep reduction in NEET-PG qualifying cut-offs has reportedly led to postgraduate medical seats in government colleges being filled at extraordinarily low scores, including in core clinical and surgical specialties, resulting in widespread concern among doctors over training standards and patient safety.

The impact became evident during the third round of postgraduate counselling, where candidates secured seats in government medical colleges with single- and double-digit marks across both clinical and non-clinical branches. Several of these allotments were made in high-risk specialties that traditionally require strong academic and clinical aptitude, states a Times of India report.

Counselling data shows that an MS orthopaedics seat at a government institute in Rohtak was allotted to a candidate with just four marks out of 800, states the report. An obstetrics and gynaecology seat at a premier Delhi medical college went to a candidate who scored 44 marks, while a general surgery seat was filled at 47 marks.

“This reflects a serious breakdown in medical education and workforce planning,” as per a senior faculty member at a government medical college cited in the above report.

The situation follows the Union Health Ministry’s decision to significantly lower NEET-PG qualifying thresholds for the 2025-26 academic session, allowing candidates with extremely low, and in some cases, negative scores to participate in counselling.

Low-score allotments were seen across disciplines, including 10 marks in transfusion medicine, 11 marks in anatomy and minus eight marks in biochemistry, particularly in reserved and persons with disabilities categories. While the relaxed cut-offs helped prevent seats from remaining vacant, medical professionals warn the move risks eroding minimum competency standards.

“Permitting clinical and surgical branches to be filled at near-zero percentiles represents a serious dilution of standards,” said another senior doctor cited in the report.

The policy marks a departure from the Centre’s earlier position. In 2022, the government had told the Delhi High Court that minimum qualifying percentiles were essential to safeguarding medical education quality, a view the court endorsed.

Health ministry officials, however, argue that competence is ensured through training and exit examinations rather than entry cut-offs alone, and that colleges are responsible for failing unsuitable candidates.

Medical educators counter that without strong faculty, rigorous exit mechanisms and adequate clinical exposure, lowering entry barriers could have long-term consequences for patient care and public trust in the healthcare system.