NEET PG 2025-26 Cut-off Row: Supreme Court Seeks NBEMS Report on Reduction of Category-wise Cutoff
NEET PG 2025-26 cut-off row: Supreme Court directs NBEMS to submit a report within two weeks on the reduced qualifying cut-off of 103 and minus 40 marks.
NEET PG 2025-26 Cut-off: The Supreme Court has directed the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to submit a report explaining the decision to reduce the qualifying cut-off for NEET PG 2025-26. The court has given NBEMS two weeks to submit its report on the revised qualifying criteria.
The direction came during the hearing of a petition challenging the reduction in the NEET PG 2025 qualifying cut-off. The petitioner had also sought an interim stay on the admission of candidates who secured negative marks in the examination. However, the Supreme Court declined to pass any interim order on the plea at this stage. The matter will be taken up again after two weeks.
NEET PG 2025 Cut-off Reduced: Check Revised Marks
The qualifying cut-off for NEET PG 2025 was substantially reduced ahead of the third round of counselling. According to the NBEMS notification, the revised cut-offs were introduced following directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
| Category | Original Cut-off | Revised Cut-off |
| General/EWS | 276 marks | 103 marks |
| General PwBD | 255 marks | 90 marks |
| SC/ST/OBC | 235 marks | -40 marks |
NOTE: The original qualifying criteria required candidates from the General/EWS category to secure at least the 50th percentile, while SC/ST/OBC candidates were required to meet the 40th percentile. Following the revision, the qualifying percentile was reduced to the 7th percentile for General/EWS and 0 percentile for SC/ST/OBC candidates, resulting in revised cut-off scores of 103 and minus 40, respectively.
Supreme Court Seeks Explanation From NBEMS
The Supreme Court's latest direction means NBEMS will have to explain the basis for reducing the NEET PG 2025 qualifying threshold. The court has sought a report within two weeks, after which the matter is expected to be considered again.
The petition challenges the decision that allowed candidates with very low or negative scores to become eligible for postgraduate medical counselling. Earlier proceedings had also raised questions over the rationale behind lowering the qualifying percentile to zero for certain categories.
Apeksha Agarwal is an Education Journalist with over 3.5 years of experience. She covers a wide range of topics, including school board examinations, entrance tests, admissions, results, scholarships, and higher education updates. Over the years, she has closely tracked major examinations such as JEE Main, NEET UG, CUET, and various state-level entrance exams, helping students stay informed throughout their academic journey. Apeksha has a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a certificate in Digital Journalism. She is passionate about transforming complex educational developments into clear, accessible, and useful information. Her reporting focuses on providing students, parents, and educators with accurate updates and practical insights on examinations, results, and policy changes. She believes that quality education journalism can make a meaningful difference by helping students make informed decisions about their future.
