NEET-PG 2025 Cut-off Sees Record Drop, Now Even Those with Very Low Scores Can Get a PG Seat

The government has drastically reduced the cut-off for NEET-PG 2025, making candidates with very low scores and even negative marks eligible for PG counseling.

A major and surprising decision has emerged regarding NEET-PG 2025, the country's most important medical examination. The central government and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) have significantly reduced the cut-off for the third round of counseling. Following this decision, candidates with extremely low scores are now eligible for postgraduate (PG) medical seats.

In some categories, even candidates with negative marks have been allowed to participate in the counseling.
This decision is being seen as a major change in the medical education system. While the government is presenting it as an attempt to fill vacant seats, it has also raised concerns among doctors and medical organizations.

What were the rules before?

Until January 13, 2026, a minimum cut-off was set for qualifying in NEET-PG 2025. For the General and EWS categories, the 50th percentile was required, which was approximately 276 marks out of 800. For PwBD (General), the 45th percentile, or approximately 255 marks, was required.

For the SC, ST, and OBC categories, the 40th percentile was set, which was approximately 235 marks.

This clearly meant that to remain in the race for PG admission, one had to score at least 235 marks, regardless of the candidate's category.

What has changed now?

Following the new notice issued by NBEMS, the cut-off has been significantly lowered.

Now, the cut-off for the General and EWS categories has been set at the 7th percentile, which is approximately 103 marks.

For PwBD (General), it has been set at the 5th percentile, or approximately 90 marks. Meanwhile, the cut-off for SC, ST, and OBC categories has been reduced to zero percentile, meaning even scores as low as minus 40 will be considered valid. However, it has been clarified that this change is only for eligibility to participate in counseling. There has been no change in the NEET-PG 2025 ranking system.

Why did the government take this decision?

The government and NBEMS (National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences) state that thousands of PG medical seats remained vacant across the country even after the first and second rounds of NEET-PG 2025 counseling. Even after reaching the third round, many colleges still had unfilled seats.

On one hand, there is constant discussion about the shortage of doctors in the country, and on the other hand, training seats in medical colleges are lying vacant. To address this contradiction, the decision was made to lower the cut-off so that more candidates could participate in counseling and the seats could be filled.

Why did the seats remain vacant?

According to medical experts, there are several reasons behind this. Many private medical colleges charge very high fees for PG courses, which are unaffordable for middle-class families. In some states, there is a long-term government bond requirement after completing PG, which mandates postings in difficult areas. The workload in surgery, anesthesia, and some other branches is very high, and there are also legal risks involved, so students are avoiding these branches.

In addition, the working conditions of junior doctors during training, long hours, and lack of security are also major problems. Due to all these reasons, many seats remained vacant, and the government had to take the drastic step of lowering the cut-off.

What will be the impact of this decision?

This decision has sparked a heated debate in the medical community. Many doctors' organizations argue that students admitted to PG programs are the ones who will become surgeons, physicians, gynecologists, and super-specialists in the future. If the entry level is lowered significantly, it could affect the quality of treatment and patient safety in the future.

However, the government argues that all candidates have already passed MBBS. The ranking system has not been changed. The purpose of lowering the cut-off is simply to allow classes to begin in the vacant seats and to address, to some extent, the shortage of doctors in the country.

Why is NEET-PG such an important exam?

NEET-PG is one of the largest and most crucial medical examinations in India. Doctors take this exam after completing their MBBS degree to gain admission to postgraduate programs.

Only after passing NEET-PG can doctors pursue courses like MD and MS and subsequently prepare for super-specialty training.