Medical community protests NBEMS decision to sharply reduce NEET-PG eligibility cut-offs for postgraduate admissions | File Photo
Mumbai, Jan 14: The National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has received backlash from the medical community as the board revised the eligibility criteria for postgraduate (PG) admissions in medical colleges in the third round of counselling. As per the revised percentile, a student scoring minus 40 out of 800 marks can also secure admission.
Vacant seats prompt revision
Despite two rounds of admission in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG, almost 18,000 seats remained vacant in the country. To fill the seats in medical colleges, the NBEMS revised the eligibility criteria for students.
According to the new notification released on January 13, the qualifying percentile for the general category was lowered from the 50th to the 7th percentile and for persons with disabilities from the 45th to the 5th percentile. For candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories, it was reduced to zero.
Concerns over dilution of standards
NEET is one of the most competitive exams in the country, which aspiring medical students are expected to clear to secure seats in medical colleges.
The revised eligibility criteria undermine the status quo of the examination, as a student securing minus 40 out of 800 will also be able to secure admission into a medical college.
Third round schedule awaited
The NBEMS conducted two rounds of counselling since November last year. The requirements have been changed for the third round. The schedule for round three is yet to be declared.
IMA sought relaxation
The revision of the percentile comes in the backdrop of the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) letter to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare urging a revision since seats were lying vacant.
“The high eligibility threshold for NEET PG leads to exclusion of competent and willing candidates from the counselling process. The continued vacancy in seats causes shortage of resident doctors in hospitals, extra workload on the trainees, and adverse impact on patient care services,” stated the letter dated January 12.
Strong backlash from medical bodies
However, the move has drawn severe backlash from the medical community. “When qualifying cut-offs are dropped to the 7th, 5th, or even the 0th percentile, we must seriously ask: what is the purpose of a national merit-based examination? This is not reform—it is a surrender of standards,” said Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron of the Federation of All India Medical Association.
Criticism of private college practices
“Instead of diluting merit merely to fill seats, authorities should conduct an additional examination if required and urgently reduce the unnaturally inflated number of PG seats in substandard private colleges. Many of these institutions lack adequate faculty, patient load, and basic infrastructure, yet run 20–30 seats per clinical department purely for commercial gain,” Krishnan said.
FAIMA condemns move
Similarly, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), which represents resident doctors, condemned the move. “We strongly condemn the drastic reduction of the NEET-PG cut-off allowing candidates with negative marks to qualify. This arbitrary decision gravely undermines merit, compromises the sanctity of medical education, and poses a serious threat to patient safety. Diluting standards merely to fill seats is unacceptable. We urge the government to immediately withdraw this notification and restore a merit-based cut-off in the national interest,” FAIMA stated.
FORDA raises concerns
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India (FORDA) also raised severe concerns. In a letter, it stated, “This favours private colleges whose seats can be filled by low-scoring candidates at exorbitant fees and prioritises institutional profits over students’ welfare.”
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Private college professor responds
A senior professor of a private college, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Free Press Journal, “We do have the facilities and resources available to teach students and make them qualified doctors. The resources students do not have while preparing for the NEET exam are made available by us to better explain the concepts. Eventually, for a student to become a qualified doctor, they have to be at par according to the parameters set by the board. So students get a chance to study and become better after enrolling in college.”
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