New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a notice on a public interest litigation challenging the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences‘ decision to lower the qualifying cut-off percentage for NEET PG 2025-26. 

The court hearing of this matter will be held on February 6th, 2026, under the bench of Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha. 

The notice issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences for reducing the qualifying cut-off is assailed by the petition. The petitioners stated that the cut-off has been lessened to really low levels, with zero and negative percentiles. 

What do the Petitioners Say? 

The petitioners have argued that lowering the qualifying level for postgraduate medical education violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. 

Reducing the cut-off will directly affect public health, patient safety, and the integrity of the medical profession. It states that the decision is taken mainly to fill the vacant seats, and removes merit as a criterion while making the exam merely a formality. 

Furthermore, the plea contends that the field of medicine implicates the life of a human being, his dignity, and integrity, and dissolving such professional standards is highly unacceptable. 

The petitioners also argued that the dilution of this cut-off at the postgraduate level is contrary to the statutory mandate of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. 

Conclusion

The medical profession is the backbone of the survival of humanity. Therefore, it must be taken seriously. Any leniency related to the competency and skills of a medical professional cannot be ignored. Medical professionals are often called superheroes, but they are constantly doing a high-pressure job. So, it’s vital to maintain the standards of medical education to the utmost.