NEET PG-2025: Cut-off for reserved categories is zero percentile; even those with minus 40 marks will be eligible for admission..

Due to more than 18,000 postgraduate seats remaining vacant in medical colleges across the country, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has revised the percentile cut-off for NEET PG-2025 admissions. The cut-off percentile for the reserved category has been reduced from 40 to zero, while for the general category and EWS (Economically Weaker Sections), it has been reduced from 50 to seven percentiles. For general category candidates with disabilities, it has been reduced from 45 to 5 percent.

The board took this decision after the completion of the second round of counseling for NEET PG admissions. Significantly, after the change, candidates in the reserved category who previously needed 235 marks to be eligible will now be eligible even with a minus 40 marks. This means that candidates with scores 40 marks below zero will also be eligible for postgraduate admissions. General category candidates who scored 103 marks will now be eligible for admission, compared to the previous requirement of 276 marks. Similarly, for general category candidates with disabilities, the previous requirement was 255 marks; now, those with 90 marks will be eligible for admission.

Seats based on Merit and Preference
Admission to medical postgraduate (PG) courses will be granted only through NEET PG.
The admission process will be in accordance with the rules of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate).
The NBEMS has clarified that seat allocation will be done only through the counseling process.
No direct or discretionary admissions will be permitted.
All seats will be allocated based on merit, as before.
The candidate's preferences (choice filling) will also be considered in the seat allocation.
Transparency and fairness will be maintained in the admission process.
There will be no compromise on academic standards. 

Doctors say: This is a decline in standards.
Dr. Rohan Krishnan, chief patron of the Federation of All India Medical Associations, said, "It's astonishing that candidates who scored zero after failing to answer any questions in the exam, and those who received negative marks for answering many questions incorrectly, have been declared eligible to become specialist doctors in the country. Krishnan added, "They will all be eligible to participate in surgeries and practice medicine in the country. This is very unfortunate. What is the purpose of the National Eligibility Test if the cutoff is lowered to zero? This is a decline in standards."

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