In a dramatic turn for India’s medical education landscape, postgraduate medical seats in government colleges are being filled by candidates with alarmingly low NEET-PG scores after authorities drastically slashed the qualifying cut-offs this year.
Emergency Fix for Vacant Seats
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), under the Union Health Ministry, lowered the minimum qualifying criteria to widen the pool of eligible candidates. This came after over 18,000 PG medical seats remained unfilled across the country following the first two rounds of NEET-PG counselling,
The changes include reducing the cut-off percentile from the usual 50th to 7th for the general category and down to zero percentile for SC/ST/OBC candidates. This effectively allowed even candidates with negative scores (due to negative marking) to register for counselling.
NEET-PG Cut-Off Drop Leads to PG Seats Filled at Very Low Scores
A sharp drop in NEET-PG qualifying cut-offs has reportedly allowed postgraduate medical seats in government colleges to be filled by candidates with extremely low scores, including in key clinical and surgical branches. This has raised broad concern among doctors about training quality and patient safety.
Extremely Low Scores Seen Across PG Medical Seats
Counselling records reportedly indicate that an MS orthopaedics seat at a government institute in Rohtak was given to a candidate who scored only four out of 800. It was noted that the obstetrics and gynaecology seat at a leading Delhi medical college went to a candidate with 44 marks, and a general surgery seat was allotted to someone with a score of 47.
Low-score allotments appeared across a range of disciplines, with 10 marks in transfusion medicine, 11 marks in anatomy, and even minus eight marks in biochemistry, particularly in reserved categories and among candidates with disabilities. Although the lower cut-offs helped ensure that seats did not go unfilled, medical professionals caution that the move could weaken essential competency standards.
Dispute Over Whether Lower Cut-Offs Hurt Training
Health ministry officials reportedly maintain that competence is shaped through training and final examinations rather than entry cut-offs. They add that colleges are responsible for failing trainees who do not meet required standards.
Medical educators disagree. They warn that without strong faculty, reliable final exams, and enough clinical exposure, lowering entry standards could hurt training. They also fear it may eventually affect patient care and weaken public trust in the healthcare system.
Final Word
The clash over cut-offs reflects a larger question: how to fill seats without weakening standards. As the debate continues, the medical community agrees on one thing: patient safety must remain at the centre of every decision.
