Why cutoff percentile for NEET-PG counselling was reduced to 0 for SC, ST

All candidates from the reserved category who appeared for the exam, including those who scored as low as minus 40 marks, are now eligible to take part in counselling

The qualifying percentile cutoff for the third round of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) or NEET-PG has been reduced to zero for reserved categories, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) announced on Tuesday.

 

According to the notice, all candidates who appeared for the exam, including those who scored as low as minus 40 marks, are now eligible to take part in counselling. The decision sparked criticism from industry experts who say the academic standards have been lowered.

What has changed in NEET-PG cutoffs

In the notice, NBEMS said that it has lowered the qualifying percentile across categories to allow more candidates to participate in the third round of counselling for postgraduate medical seats.

 

 

For candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories, the qualifying percentile has been reduced to zero. This removes the minimum marks requirement and allows all reserved-category candidates who appeared for NEET-PG 2025 to apply for vacant MD and MS seats.

 

The board said the decision was taken on the directions of the Union Health Ministry.  ALSO READ | FMGE December Admit Card 2025 releasing today at natboard.edu.in, know more

Cutoffs lowered across categories

The cutoff has also been sharply reduced for other categories. The qualifying percentile for the general category has been lowered from the 50th percentile to the 7th percentile. For persons with disabilities (PwD) candidates, it has been reduced from the 45th percentile to the 5th percentile.

 

With these changes, a much larger pool of candidates, including those from the general category who secured 103 and PwDs with 90 marks, will now be eligible to participate in the third round of counselling.

 

According to the initial guidelines, candidates belonging to the general category needed 276 marks, while those from PwD required a score of 255.

Why was the cutoff lowered?

The move aims to ensure that postgraduate medical seats do not remain vacant after the first two rounds of counselling. The Medical Counselling Committee recently revised the seat matrix after candidates resigned from allotted seats and after new seats were added.

 

However, many doctors and medical academics have raised concerns, Hindustan Times reported. They argue that allowing candidates with extremely low or even negative scores to compete for seats could affect the quality of medical education and patient care in the country. 

NEET-PG 2025 counselling

NEET-PG 2025 was held on August 3, 2025, and the results were announced on August 19. The first round of counselling was conducted between October and November, followed by the second round in late November and early December. The Medical Counselling Committee is expected to announce the schedule for the third round of counselling soon.