A 12-member expert committee constituted to review the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduates (NEET-PG) admission system has proposed replacing the existing percentile-based qualifying system with a rank-based merit system.
In a report filed before the Supreme Court, the committee said that the National Medical Commission (NMC) had granted in-principle approval to the proposal for both NEET-PG and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Super Speciality (NEET-SS). A draft regulation is expected to be issued shortly for stakeholder consultation.
The committee also suggested several measures to address the recurring problem of vacant postgraduate medical seats, including reducing fees for non-clinical courses and exempting candidates taking pre-clinical and para-clinical seats from service bonds.
The report was submitted pursuant to the Supreme Court’s directions to the Union government to conduct a comprehensive audit of the existing NEET admission system, identify gaps and recommend practical solutions.
The issue arose from the Union Health Ministry’s decision to drastically reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025. Under the revised criteria, the qualifying score for the general category was reduced from 276 to 103, while that for the SC/ST/OBC categories was brought down from 235 to minus 40.
A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe had questioned the drastic reduction in qualifying percentiles, observing that it appeared to affect the quality of medical education.
The Court had said that it would examine the government’s decision even though it was a policy matter.
In the affidavit filed by the Centre today, the expert committee said that although qualifying percentiles had been reduced by competent authorities depending on the number of vacant seats, the minimum standards of postgraduate medical education must be maintained. The significance of competitive examinations, it added, should not be reduced to an administrative formality.
To address vacant postgraduate medical seats, the committee suggested the following measures:
Lower fees for non-clinical courses: State fee fixation committees or competent authorities should consider maintaining different fee structures for clinical and non-clinical branches, with lower fees for non-clinical courses to encourage candidates to take up these seats.
Exemption from service bonds: Candidates taking pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects should be exempted from service bonds to prevent vacancies in these courses.
Additional counselling rounds: The committee noted that additional rounds were being conducted pursuant to the court's directions to prevent wastage of seats. However, it cautioned that these rounds also increase the overall duration of counselling.
Preventing seat blocking: The committee suggested that the examination-conducting bodies, NTA and NBEMS, explore KYC and biometric verification to prevent candidates from appearing in entrance examinations merely to block seats.
Vacant dental and nursing seats: The committee suggested creating more employment opportunities for dental and nursing graduates and considering discontinuation of seats that remain vacant for two to three consecutive years. It also proposed that competent authorities consider reducing fees for these courses.
The report also addressed delays in medical counselling, which have repeatedly affected the commencement of academic sessions.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) informed the expert panel that several changes had been introduced in the 2026-27 counselling process to reduce delays and inconvenience to candidates.
Under the revised system, candidates are divided into ‘Freeze’ and ‘Float’ categories depending on whether they wish to retain their allotted seat or seek an upgrade. Candidates opting for the float option can accept their allotted seat online and apply for upgradation without physically visiting the institution.
The process of relieving candidates from their earlier allotted seats after an upgrade, has also been made online. Candidates are required to pay fees only once, at the institution where they ultimately decide to take admission. Online document uploads and verification by institute nodal officers have also been introduced.
The NMC has also been integrated into the MCC counselling portal to directly contribute and verify the seat matrix of medical colleges. Earlier, colleges submitted seat details directly to MCC, which had to verify them manually against NMC data. The committee said the new arrangement had eliminated duplication of seats in the matrix and helped streamline the counselling schedule.
For future counselling cycles, the committee proposed that:
NMC, NBEMS and NTA should contribute verified seat details well before the commencement of counselling;
MCC should prepare a fixed counselling schedule for every academic year and course and submit it to the Supreme Court for ratification;
Standard operating procedures should be prepared and updated every year to streamline counselling;
Regular meetings with stakeholders should be held before and after counselling to identify gaps and address recurring problems;
An online system should be developed to share NEET results directly with State counselling authorities.
The committee also suggested that State governments should examine disparities in stipends between residents in clinical and non-clinical branches, provide incentives to doctors willing to work in rural areas and reconsider existing service bond policies.
When the report was presented before the Court today, advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, appearing for one of the petitioners, argued that instead of justifying the drastic reduction in qualifying cut-off marks, the committee has proposed changing the marking system itself.
"Now, ironically, they changing from percentile to rank based. What is the difference?" Rajput contended.
The Court, however, granted the petitioners time to file their responses to the committee's report and adjourned the matter.
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