The qualifying scores for the NEET PG 2025 exam have been significantly reduced, affecting many medical students across India. On January 13, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE) announced these changes. Surprisingly, the cutoff score for students in the SC, ST, and OBC categories has been brought down to zero percentile, meaning a score of -40 can now qualify them for admission to postgraduate medical courses. This decision aims to fill thousands of vacant medical seats in the country and has sparked a nationwide debate.
The NEET PG exam is a very important test for doctors who want to study further and specialize in medical fields after completing their MBBS. The exam has a total of 800 marks. The cutoff score is the minimum mark a student needs to get to be considered for admission. With this new change, more students will now be eligible for counselling rounds, where they can choose their postgraduate specializations.
New Cutoff Scores for NEET PG 2025
Here are the revised qualifying scores for different student categories:
| Category | New Cutoff Percentile | Qualifying Score |
| Unreserved (UR) | 7th percentile | 103 |
| SC/ST/OBC | 0 percentile | -40 |
| UR PWD | 5th percentile | 90 |
As you can see, for SC, ST, and OBC students, even scoring -40 marks makes them eligible. This means a student could answer many questions incorrectly and still qualify. This is because the NEET PG exam has a system of negative marking, where marks are deducted for wrong answers. So, if a student answers more questions wrong than right, their total score can go into negative numbers.
Why Was the Cutoff Reduced?
Officials from the NBE and the government have explained that this step was taken to address a big problem: many postgraduate medical seats remain empty each year. They stressed that this decision was made looking at the overall needs of the country. By lowering the cutoff, more doctors can get a chance to specialize, helping to solve the shortage of specialist doctors in India.
They also mentioned that the NEET PG exam is designed to be very competitive, and the number of students taking the exam is much higher than the available seats. The officials clarified that this change does not affect the actual scores students received. It only changes the minimum score needed to qualify for admission. They want to ensure that medical colleges have enough doctors to train, which benefits the health system in the long run.
Controversy and Supreme Court Case
While the government aims to fill seats, the decision has also caused a lot of debate. Many people believe that lowering the cutoff, especially to zero or negative marks, goes against the idea of admitting students purely based on their academic performance or 'merit'.
Because of these concerns, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court of India. This PIL, filed on January 16, 2025, argues that such a low cutoff makes the admission process less fair and challenges the quality standards of future doctors. The Supreme Court will now examine this matter, and its decision will be very important for medical education in India.
Students who appeared for NEET PG 2025 should regularly check official websites for updates. The next steps will involve the counselling process, where eligible students can apply for available seats based on their scores and choices.
