Supreme Court Poised to Hear NEET PG Cut-Off Controversy Next Week
A public interest litigation challenging the sharp reduction in qualifying cut-offs for NEET-PG 2025-26 is expected to reach the Supreme Court soon. The petition, filed last week, targets the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences' decision to lower percentiles to what critics call "abnormally low levels." This includes scores of zero and even negative values.
Petitioners Expect Hearing After Republic Day Holiday
Advocate Satyam Singh, representing the petitioners, indicated that the matter could be listed before the court by January 23. However, procedural timelines and the Republic Day holiday on January 26 might push the hearing to the following week. The Medical Counselling Committee issued the controversial notice on January 13, sparking widespread backlash from doctors and medical students nationwide.
Key Arguments in the Petition
The PIL, filed by social worker Harisharan Devgan and others including neurosurgeon Dr Saurav Kumar and Dr Lakshya Mittal of the United Doctors Front, raises several critical points:
- Violation of Fundamental Rights: The petition alleges that the cut-off reduction breaches Article 14's protection against arbitrariness and Article 21's guarantee of life and health.
- Compromised Merit and Standards: Petitioners argue that the decision prioritizes filling vacant seats over maintaining merit and minimum competence levels in medical education.
- Procedural Unfairness: The plea emphasizes that eligibility criteria cannot be altered mid-stream, as aspirants prepared and made career choices based on originally notified cut-offs.
Historical Context and Government's Stance
This is not the first instance of such a controversy. In 2023, cut-offs were similarly reduced to zero percentile, with candidates scoring as low as minus 40 out of 800 deemed qualified. Analysis suggests hundreds may have scored zero or below in 2025, with the lowest score again hitting minus 40.
Notably, the government previously opposed reducing NEET PG cut-offs. In July 2022, the Centre told the court that minimum qualifying percentiles are essential to uphold baseline educational standards. The Delhi High Court dismissed a similar plea then, stating that diluting medical education standards involves "matter of life and death."
Broader Implications for Medical Education
The petition contends that postgraduate medical education should not be treated as a commercial exercise. Lowering eligibility criteria to such extremes, it argues, undermines competitive examinations and poses risks to patient safety and public health. The plea also questions the proportionality of the measure, suggesting alternatives like improved counselling processes or seat redistribution could have been explored instead.
As the legal battle unfolds, the outcome could significantly impact the future of medical admissions in India, balancing the need to fill seats with the imperative to maintain rigorous educational standards.
