Explained: Here’s why the Union health ministry lowered the NEET-PG cut-off

The Union Health Ministry’s decision to sharply lower the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2025, including reducing it to zero for certain categories, followed a formal intervention by the Indian Medical Association, which warned that high eligibility thresholds were leaving many postgraduate medical seats vacant and weakening hospital staffing.

In a letter dated January 12, 2026, addressed to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, the IMA sought a rational downward revision of the qualifying cut-off, citing repeated instances of PG seats remaining unfilled despite multiple rounds of counselling. The government revised the cut-off the following day, with the updated criteria notified by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences.

What changed in the revised cut-off

Under the revised notification for the 2025–26 academic session, the qualifying percentile for General and EWS candidates has been lowered to the 7th percentile, translating to a cut-off score of 103 marks out of 800. For General candidates with benchmark disabilities, the qualifying percentile has been reduced to the 5th percentile, corresponding to 90 marks out of 800. For candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories, including those with benchmark disabilities, the qualifying percentile has been reduced to zero, with the revised cut-off score specified as minus 40 out of 800.

The notification clarified that the revision applies only to eligibility for counselling and does not alter the NEET-PG 2025 ranks declared earlier. Candidature remains provisional and subject to fulfilment of eligibility criteria and verification during admission.

The case made by doctors

In its representation, the IMA said the original cut-off, 276 marks out of 800 for General and EWS candidates and 235 marks for SC, ST and OBC candidates, had excluded a large pool of otherwise competent and willing candidates from the counselling process. “This relatively high eligibility threshold has resulted in the exclusion of a significant number of candidates, creating a genuine apprehension that a substantial number of postgraduate seats may once again remain unutilised,” the association wrote.

The association also flagged concerns raised by students over the NEET-PG 2025 evaluation process, including issues related to score discrepancies and lack of clarity. “This has understandably affected the morale and confidence of the student community and calls for a reassuring and balanced policy intervention,” the IMA noted.

The doctors’ body linked vacant PG seats directly to stress on the healthcare system. “The continued vacancy of postgraduate seats has serious implications, including shortage of resident doctors in teaching hospitals, increased workload on existing trainees, disruption of academic activities and an adverse impact on patient care services, particularly in government and peripheral institutions,” the IMA said.

Staffing impact on hospitals

Government submissions to Parliament and health workforce reviews by NITI Aayog have repeatedly flagged vacant postgraduate seats and shortages of resident doctors as a constraint on service delivery in public hospitals, particularly outside major urban centres. These assessments note that postgraduate residents form a critical part of clinical staffing in government teaching hospitals, especially in inpatient and emergency services.

Following the revision, the IMA described the decision as timely and in the larger public interest. “A rational revision of the qualifying cut-off across all categories will facilitate optimal utilisation of postgraduate medical seats and strengthen healthcare services,” the association said, adding that the move would help ease pressure on teaching hospitals and restore confidence among medical graduates.

Health ministry records show that qualifying thresholds for NEET-PG have been revised in several previous admission cycles, indicating a recurring mismatch between eligibility criteria and available training capacity rather than a one-off adjustment.

“The problem is not merely academic,” the association said in its communication. “Vacant postgraduate seats translate directly into fewer resident doctors at a time when the public health system is already stretched.”