Supreme Court Reviews PIL Against NEET PG 2025 Cut-Off Reduction

Background of the Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has addressed a public interest litigation (PIL) contesting the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) decision to lower the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET PG 2025. A Bench comprising Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe has agreed to examine the issue, with the next hearing scheduled for Friday, February 6, 2026.

Legal Proceedings and Notifications

The court issued notices to the Union Government of India, the NBEMS, the National Medical Commission, and other relevant parties, requesting their responses within a week, as reported by PTI. The PIL specifically challenges a notification released on January 13 by the NBEMS, which significantly reduced the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2025-26 to unusually low levels, including zero and negative percentiles.

Concerns Raised by the Petitioners

The petition was filed by Dr. Lakshya Mittal, National President of the United Doctors Front (UDF), along with other concerned parties. They seek the Supreme Court’s intervention to nullify the NBEMS notification and restore minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education. The petition describes the reduction of qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26 as arbitrary and unprecedented.

Details of the Notification

The PIL, registered as Diary No. 3085/2026 under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, was submitted through Advocate Satyam Singh Rajput and other legal representatives. The UDF’s challenge pertains to the January 13, 2026 notification from the NBEMS that has notably diluted the minimum qualifying standards for postgraduate medical admissions.

In its notice, the NBEMS adjusted the minimum qualifying percentile cut-off for the third round of National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025-2026 across various candidate categories. The revised qualifying percentiles are set at 7th, 5th, and 0th for General/EWS, General PwBD, and SC/ST/OBC (including PwBD of SC/ST/OBC) categories, respectively. Consequently, the new cut-off scores are now 103 for General/EWS, 90 for General PwBD, and -40 for SC/ST/OBC candidates.

Implications for Medical Standards

The petition underscores the potential dangers of permitting candidates with abnormally low or negative scores to qualify for postgraduate medical training. It argues that such a decision could jeopardize patient safety, public health, and the integrity of the medical profession. The petitioners contend that the NBEMS’s decision is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and infringes on Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

Judicial and Regulatory Standards

Furthermore, the PIL emphasizes that this dilution of merit contravenes established judicial principles and violates the statutory requirements set forth in the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which mandates regulatory bodies to uphold minimum standards in medical education.

Call to Action

Through the petition, the UDF has requested the Supreme Court to quash the contentious NBEMS notification and issue directives to restore and safeguard minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education. As the case progresses, it is anticipated that it will be listed for further consideration in the coming days.

Reactions from the Medical Community

A segment of the medical community has strongly opposed the decision, expressing concerns that the reduced cut-off allows candidates who scored -40 marks to qualify for admission to competitive clinical specialties. This, they argue, could undermine the merit-based selection necessary for maintaining high standards in medical training.