The government has allowed candidates with zero percentile scores to participate in postgraduate medical admissions after sharply reducing the NEET PG cut off, a move aimed at filling around 18,000 vacant seats across the country. The decision comes at a time when doctors and medical associations are staging protests over issues related to admissions, working conditions and healthcare infrastructure.
Officials said the cut off was lowered after multiple rounds of counselling failed to fill a large number of PG medical seats, raising concerns about the shortage of specialist doctors in government and private hospitals. By opening admissions to candidates who scored zero percentile, authorities hope to ensure optimal utilisation of available seats and strengthen the healthcare workforce.
The reduction in the cut off applies across categories, allowing a wider pool of candidates to compete for remaining MD, MS and diploma seats. Medical education regulators have maintained that the move is a temporary and exceptional measure taken in the larger public interest, especially to address gaps in specialist care.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from sections of the medical fraternity. Several doctors’ bodies have argued that lowering standards could impact the quality of postgraduate medical training and patient care in the long term. Protesting doctors have also linked the issue to broader concerns about medical education reforms, faculty shortages and uneven distribution of seats.
Government sources have defended the move, stating that unfilled PG seats represent a loss of valuable training capacity and public resources. They emphasised that eligibility to participate in counselling does not guarantee admission, as candidates must still meet other academic and institutional requirements.
The counselling process for the vacant seats is expected to proceed on an accelerated timeline, with authorities urging eligible candidates to register promptly. The government has indicated that it will review the impact of the cut off reduction after the admission cycle and consider corrective steps if required.
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