The Supreme Court has requested the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to provide reasons for lowering the minimum qualifying cut-off percentiles for the NEET-PG 2025–26 exam. Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe expressed concerns over the significant reduction and its potential impact. This follows a PIL challenging the decision to reduce cut-offs to extremely low levels after counseling rounds.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, representing the petitioners, highlighted that there are more candidates meeting the reduced cut-offs than available postgraduate medical seats. He emphasized the need for authorities to justify the drastic reduction, including allowing negative scores for eligibility. The Supreme Court acknowledged the delicate balance between filling seats and upholding academic standards in the medical field.
The apex court stressed the importance of ensuring no ulterior motives behind the decision to lower qualifying percentiles. It directed NBEMS to submit an affidavit explaining the rationale behind the reduction. Earlier, the court had sought responses from various entities, including the Union government and the National Medical Commission, regarding the controversial reduction in cut-off percentiles.
