NEET-PG | 'Concerned About Adverse Effect On Quality' : Supreme Court To Examine NEET-PG 2025 Cut-Off Reduction

The Supreme Court today said it would examine whether the sharp reduction in the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2025-26 affects standards in postgraduate medical education.

A bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe was hearing pleas challenging reduction in the percentile cut-off.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati referred to the reasoning set out in the Centre's affidavit and submitted that the decision was taken in view of vacancies. She added that the examination does not certify minimum clinical competence since candidates have already obtained MBBS degrees, and NEET-PG is meant to compare and filter out candidates in view of limited seats.

Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan for the petitioners raised the issue of fee disparity. He told the Court that fees in government institutes range between ₹9,000 and ₹27,000, while in private institutes range between ₹95 lakhs and ₹1.5 crores. He submitted that even though 1.3 lakh students are available up to the 50th percentile, they cannot enter private institutes because the fees are prohibitive. He said that the regulator should consider having some cap on fees.

Bhati responded that fee fixation regulations were brought in by the National Medical Commission which provide that fees in private colleges cannot be 50 percent more than the government college of that State. Sankaranarayanan pointed that if that was so, then private colleges are violating the rules.

Justice Narasimha said that although the Union was justified in stating that NEET-PG is not entry into MBBS and that candidates are already doctors, the Court would still have to consider the effect of reducing the cut-off.

“Adversely affecting the quality of education is what we are concerned more than anything. More than anything it is about the quality. You will have to satisfy us that the reduction of the cutoff so drastically, virtually bringing it to zero and non-existence... Though you are justified in saying that this is not like entry into MBBS, this is like a post-graduation. It stands on a different footing because those who apply are already doctors. But still in the context of competition we will have to reflect”, he said.

The Court marked the matter part-heard kept it on March 24 for further hearing.

Background

The challenge arises from the January 13, 2026 notice issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences reducing the minimum qualifying percentile cut-off for counselling of the third round of NEET-PG 2025-26.

As per the notice, the qualifying cut-off for General/EWS candidates was reduced from the 50th percentile (276 marks out of 800) to the 7th percentile (103 marks). For General PwBD candidates, it was reduced from the 45th percentile (255 marks) to the 5th percentile (90 marks). For SC/ST/OBC candidates, including PwBD candidates in those categories, it was reduced from the 40th percentile (235 marks) to the 0th percentile (minus 40 marks).

The petitioners contend that lowering the cut-off to zero and negative marks is arbitrary and violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, and that dilution of standards at the postgraduate level compromises patient safety and public health.

On February 6, the Supreme Court had asked the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences to file an affidavit explaining the reason behind the reduction of qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26. At that stage, Justice Narasimha had observed that the issue involved competing considerations. He added that one argument would be that standards were being lowered, while the counter argument was that seats were going waste, and that somewhere a balance had to be struck.

In its affidavit, the Union of India has stated that NEET-PG is not meant to certify minimum competence, which stands established by the MBBS qualification, but to generate an inter se merit list for allocation of limited postgraduate seats.

It has stated that all candidates are licensed MBBS practitioners and that postgraduate education is a structured three-year supervised programme, with final competence assessed at the exit level through MD/MS examinations where candidates must secure at least 50 percent marks separately in theory and practical examinations.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences has filed a separate affidavit stating that it had no role in the decision to reduce the qualifying percentile and that its role is limited to conducting the examination and handing over the results to the counselling authority.

Case no. – W.P.(C) No. 136/2026 and connected matters

Case Title – Harisharan Devgan v. Union of India and connected matters