New Delhi: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has revised the qualifying percentiles for NEET PG 2025 admissions in an effort to address the large number of vacant postgraduate medical seats across the country.

Decision taken after Round-2 counselling

Sources told ANI that the decision came after the completion of Round-2 counselling, during which more than 18,000 postgraduate seats remained unfilled across government and private medical colleges.

"The revision aims to ensure optimal utilisation of available seats, which are vital for expanding India's pool of trained medical specialists. Leaving such seats vacant undermines national efforts to improve healthcare delivery and results in the loss of valuable educational resources," sources said further

Cut-off lowered to zero percentile

Under the revised norms, the qualifying percentile for General and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates has been reduced from the 50th percentile to the 7th percentile. For candidates in the General Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category, the requirement has been brought down from the 45th percentile to the 5th percentile. Candidates belonging to the SC, ST and OBC categories will now qualify with a percentile of zero, compared to the earlier threshold of the 40th percentile.

The corresponding cut-off scores have also dropped sharply. For General and EWS candidates, the score has fallen from 276 to 103. In the General PwBD category, the cut-off has moved down from 255 to 90. For SC, ST and OBC candidates, the cut-off score has declined from 235 to minus 40. Candidates have been advised to review the revised cut-off details carefully before taking part in NEET PG 2025 counselling.

Who is eligible for NEET PG

All NEET-PG candidates are MBBS-qualified doctors who have completed their degrees and internships. NEET-PG serves as a ranking mechanism to facilitate transparent, merit-based allocation of seats through centralised counselling. The previous percentile thresholds had restricted the pool of eligible candidates despite the availability of seats.

Merit-based admissions to continue

The key highlights of the decision is that Admissions remain strictly merit-based, determined by NEET-PG rank and candidate preferences. Allotments will be made only through authorised counselling mechanisms; no direct or discretionary admissions are permitted. Inter-se merit and choice-based allocation will continue to guide seat distribution. No dilution of academic standards.The revised percentile merely expands eligibility among already-qualified MBBS doctors.

On fainess and transparency Sources said "Transparency and fairness remain central to the process."

IMA request and government response

Earlier, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had formally requested a revision of the qualifying cut-off on 12 January 2026, citing the urgent need to prevent seat wastage and strengthen healthcare services. The decision, issued on 13 January 2026, reflects responsiveness to this appeal.

The IMA has expressed heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister J.P. Nadda for their visionary leadership and timely intervention in the interest of the medical fraternity and public health.

"This measure is consistent with past academic years and has proven effective in ensuring seat utilisation while maintaining academic integrity. It reaffirms the government's commitment to strengthening India's healthcare system through fair, transparent, and merit-driven processes." Sources explained.

(with inputs from ANI)