NEET PG: Supreme Court to review if cut-off reduction compromise standards

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has decided to examine in detail the central government's action to drastically reduce the cut-off marks for the NEET PG exam for admission to postgraduate medical courses. A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe observed that this is a serious issue affecting the quality of education.

The Centre's intervention was in the NEET PG exam for the academic year 2025-26. The Centre should explain why the cut-off mark was reduced so much. Although it is a policy decision, its validity will be examined. The bench also ordered a notice to be sent to the central government. The Union Health Ministry's directive was on January 9. Subsequently, the cut-off for the third round of NEET PG counselling was reduced. The revised results were published on January 13. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) had informed the Supreme Court that 95,913 more people have qualified for counselling with this.

The petitions before the court question the setting of the low cut-off mark. The petitioners had pointed out that it affects the safety of patients, public health, and the credibility of the medical profession.