New Delhi, February 17 The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has told the Supreme Court that 95,913 additional candidates have become eligible for NEET-PG 2025 counselling after the qualifying cut-off percentile was reduced.
In an affidavit filed in the top court, the NBEMS submitted that any interference at this stage would directly affect these candidates.
"It is ex-facie apparent that pursuant to the lowering of cut off, 95,913 additional candidates have now become eligible to participate in the counselling for NEET PG 2025," the affidavit said.
The affidavit has disclosed that it has no role in reduction of cut-off and the decision fell within the exclusive domain of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the National Medical Commission.
The affidavit was filed in response to a plea challenging the decision of the NBEMS to drastically reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26.
A bench of justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe had on February 4 issued notices to the government, the NBEMS, the National Medical Commission and others.
With over 18,000 postgraduate medical seats across the country remaining vacant, the board revised the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 admissions, reducing it to zero from 40 percentile for reserved categories -- which will make even those scoring as low as minus 40 out of 800 to take part in the third round of counselling for PG medical seats.
According to the notice published by NBEMS, the NEET PG cutoff for the general category has been reduced to seven percentile from 50.
The top court is seized of a plea filed by social worker Harisharan Devgan, Dr Saurav Kumar, Dr Lakshya Mittal and Dr Akash Soni which submitted that the cut-off reduction violates articles 14 and 21.