Doctors’ bodies have strongly criticised the National Board of Examinations (NBE) for its decision to slash the qualifying cut-off percentile for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 to zero, calling it a serious threat to merit, patient safety, and public trust in the medical profession.
In separate representations to the Union Health Ministry, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) urged Health Minister JP Nadda to intervene and roll back the decision. The associations argued that allowing candidates with extremely low and even negative scores to enter postgraduate medical courses undermines the very foundation of merit-based medical education.
The NBE, in a notification dated January 13, 2026, announced a sharp reduction in the minimum qualifying percentile for the third round of NEET-PG 2025-26 counselling. Citing directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the board revised the cut-off to the 7th percentile for General/EWS candidates, 5th percentile for General PwBD, and zero percentile for SC/ST/OBC candidates, including PwBD categories. This translates into revised cut-off scores of 103, 90, and as low as minus 40, respectively.
Doctors’ associations have expressed alarm that candidates scoring minus 40 marks would now be eligible for admission into postgraduate courses, including highly competitive clinical specialities. They warn that such dilution of standards could compromise the quality of future specialists and adversely impact patient care.
FAIMA’s Chief Patron and health activist, Dr Rohan Krishnan, described the move as “deeply disheartening”, stating that it opens the door for candidates at the 7th, 5th and zero percentiles to become specialist doctors, even in premier institutions. He alleged that the decision was aimed primarily at filling vacant seats in private medical colleges, where postgraduate seats often cost crores of rupees, at the expense of merit and academic standards.
Drawing comparisons with international medical examinations such as the MRCP in the UK or licensing exams in Australia and New Zealand, Dr Krishnan noted that strict filtering mechanisms abroad ensure competency and patient safety. In contrast, he argued, lowering NEET-PG cut-offs merely to fill seats risks long-term damage to India’s healthcare system and the global reputation of Indian doctors.
He further claimed that many private medical colleges struggle to attract candidates due to inadequate faculty and infrastructure. “Students who genuinely aspire to be good doctors avoid such institutions. By lowering cut-offs, authorities are effectively sacrificing students and patients to sustain a profit-driven model,” he said, warning that future exit exams could further jeopardise the careers of those admitted under diluted standards.
FORDA, in a joint statement by its President Dr Devaunshi Kaul and General Secretary Dr Meet Ghonia, reiterated that NEET-PG is meant to be a merit-based gateway to specialist training. They cautioned that lowering standards without data, transparency, or stakeholder consultation risks eroding public confidence and disproportionately benefits private institutions focused on seat-filling rather than academic excellence.
In a letter to the Health Minister, FORDA termed the move a “blow to meritocracy”, saying it devalues the years of hard work put in by thousands of aspirants and threatens the credibility of the medical profession. The association demanded restoration of the original qualifying criteria, formation of a high-level committee involving the National Medical Commission (NMC), NBE and resident doctors to review cut-off policies, and greater stakeholder engagement in future decisions.
FAIMA has gone a step further, warning of nationwide protests if the notification is not withdrawn. The association said allowing candidates with negative marks to qualify for postgraduate training cannot be justified on academic or ethical grounds and poses a direct risk to patient safety, especially for vulnerable populations dependent on government and teaching hospitals.
Calling NEET-PG the backbone of postgraduate medical education in India, FAIMA argued that such an unprecedented cut-off reduction weakens the credibility and purpose of the national examination. “Lowering standards simply to fill vacant seats in private colleges sets a dangerous precedent,” it said, urging the government to immediately reinstate a reasonable, merit-based cut-off in the larger interest of medical education and public health.
Failing timely corrective action, FAIMA warned, it would initiate countrywide protests in coordination with resident doctors and medical associations across India.
