New Delhi – India's government has significantly lowered the qualifying cut-off score for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025, setting it at -40 out of 800 marks for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates. This drastic reduction, announced by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on January 13, 2026, aims to fill over 9,000 vacant postgraduate medical seats across the country. The move also revised cut-offs for other categories, allowing a wider pool of candidates to participate in the third round of counselling for the academic session 2025-26. ^[1][2][3]### New Eligibility Criteria Announced Under the revised criteria for NEET-PG 2025, the qualifying percentile for general and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates has been reduced from the 50th percentile to the 7th percentile. For general Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) candidates, the percentile dropped from 45th to 5th. Crucially, for SC, ST, and OBC candidates, the percentile has been reduced from 40 to zero. The corresponding cut-off score for these reserved categories is now fixed at -40 out of a total of 800 marks, a figure resulting from the exam's negative marking system. T^[2][3][4]he National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) officially notified these changes, expanding eligibility for counselling and admissions. ^[2][4]This policy change comes after a significant number of postgraduate medical seats remained unfilled in previous counselling rounds. Officials noted that around 2.4 lakh candidates appeared for NEET-PG this year. However, a high initial cut-off left thousands of seats vacant, leading to concerns about underutilization of valuable training capacity in medical institutions. I^[1][2][5]ndia has approximately 65,000 to 70,000 postgraduate medical seats, and allowing a substantial portion to remain empty would weaken teaching hospitals and strain healthcare delivery, especially in government institutions that heavily rely on resident doctors. ^[2]### Addressing Vacancies and Healthcare Needs The decision to reduce the cut-off followed a representation from the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The IMA had written to Union Health Minister JP Nadda on January 12, advocating for a rational revision of cut-offs to prevent large-scale vacancies in postgraduate medical courses. E^[2][3]xplaining the rationale, NBEMS officials clarified that the entrance exam primarily generates a merit list. It does not reassess the competence of doctors who have already successfully cleared their MBBS and university examinations. ^[2]An official stated, "You can't afford to let 9,000-10,000 PG seats go to waste." T^[2]he official acknowledged that such sharp percentile reductions often attract criticism. However, the current admission cycle was already delayed, and the primary focus is to fill these seats to avoid losing national medical resources. T^[2]he reduction aims to ensure optimal utilization of available seats and to strengthen India's pool of medical specialists. ^[3][5]### Precedent and Future Impact This is not the first instance of NEET-PG cut-offs being lowered. In 2023, the qualifying percentile was temporarily reduced to zero across all categories. In 2024, the cut-off for all categories was set at the 5th percentile. T^[6][7][8]hese historical adjustments highlight a recurring challenge in filling all available postgraduate medical seats. The current reduction for NEET-PG 2025 is a continuation of these efforts to ensure that talented medical graduates can pursue specialization. ^[1][6][7]NBEMS further clarified that this change in the cut-off percentile does not alter the actual exam scores or ranks obtained by candidates. Instead, it simply expands the pool of eligible candidates who can now participate in the counselling process. A^[2]dmissions will still occur strictly based on NEET-PG merit and rank through authorized counselling authorities. This ensures that seat allotment remains transparent and merit-based, preventing any direct or discretionary institutional admissions outside the formal process. ^[5]The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in consultation with the National Medical Commission (NMC), approved this significant reduction to address the large number of vacant MD/MS seats remaining after the initial counselling rounds. This strategic move aims to expand eligibility, reopen counselling participation, and ultimately prevent the wastage of postgraduate medical seats, ensuring more doctors can specialize and contribute to the nation's healthcare system. ^[1][5]

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