New Delhi, Nov. 3: A 12-member expert committee set up to review the NEET-PG admission system has recommended replacing the existing percentile-based qualifying system with a rank-based merit system, a proposal that has received in-principle approval from the National Medical Commission.
In a report placed before the Supreme Court, the committee said the proposed change would apply to both National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Post-Graduate (NEET-PG) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Super Speciality (NEET-SS). A draft regulation is expected to be issued shortly for consultation with stakeholders.
The committee was constituted pursuant to Supreme Court directions asking the Union government to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing admission system, identify shortcomings and suggest workable solutions.
The issue arose after the Union Health Ministry substantially lowered the qualifying cut-off for NEET-PG 2025. The general-category qualifying score was reduced from 276 to 103, while the cut-off for SC, ST and OBC candidates was brought down from 235 to minus 40.
A bench comprising Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe had questioned the sharp reduction and expressed concern over its possible impact on the quality of postgraduate medical education.
In its report, the expert committee said qualifying thresholds had been lowered from time to time depending on the number of vacant seats, but minimum standards in postgraduate medical education could not be compromised.
To address recurring vacancies, the committee suggested lower fees for non-clinical postgraduate courses and exemption from service bonds for candidates taking pre-clinical and para-clinical seats. It also favoured additional counselling rounds where necessary and measures such as KYC and biometric verification to discourage seat blocking.
The committee further examined delays in counselling. It noted that the Medical Counselling Committee had introduced a “Freeze” and “Float” system for the 2026-27 session, allowing candidates seeking an upgrade to retain an allotted seat without repeatedly visiting institutions.
The process of relieving candidates after upgradation has also been moved online. Candidates are required to pay fees only at the institution where they finally take admission. Online document submission and verification have also been introduced.
The NMC has meanwhile been integrated into the MCC counselling portal to directly verify the seat matrix of medical colleges, reducing duplication and manual cross-checking.
The committee also proposed fixed annual counselling schedules, updated standard operating procedures, regular stakeholder consultations and direct sharing of NEET results with State counselling authorities.
The Supreme Court granted the petitioners time to respond to the report and adjourned the matter.
Pramod kumar is a Senior Journalist, Covering Supreem Court of India
