NEET PG 2026 Cut-Off Cut by 40 Marks Sparks Outcry

• NEET-PG 2025 cut-off reduction by 40 percentile sparks criticism, risking dilution of  the merit-based system.
• General category cut-off lowered from 50th to 40th percentile, reserved category to 25th percentile.
• Medical professionals fear the move could undermine education quality and harm India’s global medical reputation.

NEET-PG 2025 reducing cut-off marks by 40th percentile has triggered a litmus test of criticism for doctors and medical professionals.

It was a step towards meeting the demands of more aspirants to pursue a career in this field. However, it is predicted that it may decrease the merit-based selection process and impair Indian medical education.

The new guidelines have slashed the cut-off for candidates belonging to the general category from the usual 50th percentile to the 40th percentile. For reserved categories, the cut-off was reduced to the 25th percentile, which is much lower than that in previous years.

 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, when introducing the change, had claimed that the urgent change in the regulation was made considering the peculiar situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which 'adversely affected' the candidates' preparation.

Also read: NEET UG 2026 Updates: NTA Releases Syllabus, Exam Date Soon

However, this decision has received intense reactions from medical practitioners who feel that this cut might jeopardize the process of a merit-based system that NEET-PG advocates.

Medical practitioners fear that decisions of this nature might result in a compromise of medical education standards, given that India is also trying to maintain its relevance in the global arena. It is feared that this decision might harm India's reputation as a source of good medical practitioners.

While this move is ostensibly to make it easier for more people to get educated, critics fear it could set a more troublesome precedent, affecting the overall standards of medical practice and patient care in the country.