NEET PG 2025 Cutoff Reduction Leads to Rs 2,000 Crore Seat Fill in Private Medical Colleges
The decision to lower the qualifying cutoff for NEET PG 2025 has resulted in candidates securing seats valued at almost Rs 2,000 crore across 48 private medical colleges that operate as deemed universities. This move underscores the critical importance of the cutoff adjustment for these institutions, which were grappling with significant vacancies.
Government Intervention to Address Seat Vacancies
Just before the third round of counselling, the government implemented a reduction in the cutoff score. This strategic step was aimed at filling approximately 18,000 postgraduate seats that remained unoccupied after the initial two rounds, particularly in pre-clinical and para-clinical specialties. The analysis focuses on data from the centralised counselling process, which covers all-India quota seats and all postgraduate seats in deemed university private medical colleges.
The all-India quota comprises 50% of PG seats in around 300 government colleges, with the remaining 50% allocated through state-level counselling, for which comprehensive data is not publicly available. The Times of India examined the allotment outcomes from the third and stray rounds, considering only fresh allotments in round three and all allotments in the stray round.
Financial Implications and Seat Allocation Dynamics
Candidates who receive an allotment in the third round are prohibited from changing or upgrading their preferences. Abandoning an allotted seat leads to exclusion from further counselling and forfeiture of the security deposit—Rs 25,000 for all-India quota seats and Rs 2 lakh for deemed university seats. Additionally, joining a seat and subsequently resigning may incur a seat-leaving penalty.
The analysis reveals that the annual tuition fees for clinical seats filled in the third round by candidates benefiting from the lowered cutoff in deemed universities totaled roughly Rs 550 crore. These colleges feature two seat categories: management seats and NRI seats. Given that postgraduate courses span three years, the potential revenue loss from an empty seat would amount to approximately Rs 1,650 crore.
High-Demand Clinical Specialties and Fee Structures
Tuition fees are highest for clinical specialties, especially in high-demand fields such as radiology, dermatology, obstetrics and gynaecology, and general medicine. In these areas, annual fees can range from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore or more. During the stray vacancy round, these colleges filled clinical specialty seats worth Rs 115 crore annually, equating to Rs 345 crore over the entire course duration.
In the all-India quota, no candidates who became eligible due to the lowered cutoff gained admission to clinical specialties, except those qualifying through the disability quota. In stark contrast, 970 candidates who benefited from the cutoff reduction secured clinical specialties in deemed university colleges during the third and stray rounds.
Category-Wise Distribution of Benefits
While public outcry over the cutoff reduction centered on reserved categories experiencing a drop to zero percentile, the allotment data from the two rounds indicates a different trend. Among over 1,200 all-India seats secured by candidates with reduced cutoffs, about 38% were from the general category, compared to 24% from OBCs, 25% from SCs, and 14% from STs.
In deemed university colleges, of the 1,770 seats obtained by those made eligible through the lowered cutoff, over two-thirds (1,224) were from the general category. Only 4.2% (75 seats) and 0.2% (4 seats) were allocated to SC and ST categories, respectively.
Skewed Allocation in High-Fee Clinical Seats
The disparity becomes even more pronounced in clinical seats within deemed university colleges, which command the highest tuition fees. Of the 973 clinical seats allotted in the last two rounds to candidates benefiting from the lowered cutoff, 78% (759 seats) were secured by general category candidates. OBCs accounted for 19%, SCs for 2.7%, and STs for 0.3%.
In comparison, among the 160-plus clinical seats from the all-India quota, 42% went to the general category, 40% to OBCs, 17% to SCs, and 2% to STs. This data clearly demonstrates that general category candidates derived greater advantage from the cutoff reduction than those from reserved categories.
Share in candidates who got in through lowered cutoff (%)
- All India quota: General+EWS 37%, OBC 24%, SC 24%, ST 14%
- Deemed Universities: General+EWS 69%, OBC 26%, SC 4%, ST 0.2%
Share in clinical seats filled by those who got in through lowered cutoff (%)
- All India quota: General+EWS 42%, OBC 40%, SC 17%, ST 2%
- Deemed Universities: General+EWS 78%, OBC 19%, SC 3%, ST 0.3%
Note: Each category includes PWD candidates of that category.
