One doctor, speaking about the implications, raised concerns about the disconnect between undergraduate and postgraduate performance.
Published Jan 14, 2026 | 12:34 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 14, 2026 | 12:34 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: Ministry of Health has slashed NEET-PG 2025-26 cut-offs, allowing SC/ST/OBC candidates with 0th percentile—even negative scores—to qualify. General and EWS thresholds also dropped sharply. Critics warn this erodes merit, benefits private colleges, and commodifies seats. Doctors call it a “surrender of standards,” contrasting global rigour, as NBEMS insists ranks remain unchanged despite redefining “qualified” midway through counselling.
In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves through India’s medical education community, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has slashed the qualifying criteria for NEET-PG 2025-26 to levels many doctors are calling a “surrender of standards.”
The most contentious change: candidates from SC/ST/OBC categories can now qualify with a 0th percentile – meaning even those who scored negative marks are eligible for postgraduate medical seats.
According to a notice released by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on 13 January 2026, the minimum qualifying percentile for the third round of counselling has been drastically reduced.
For SC/ST/OBC candidates (including persons with benchmark disabilities from these categories), the cut-off has plummeted from the 40th percentile to the 0th percentile. In concrete terms, this means the qualifying score has crashed from 235 marks out of 800 to a staggering minus 40 marks.
Understanding percentiles is like understanding your position in a queue. 50th percentile means you’re in the middle – half the candidates scored better than you, and the remaining scored worse. The 0th percentile means you’re literally last in the queue – every single person who took the exam performed better than you.
Under this new system, a candidate who answered so many questions incorrectly that they ended up with a negative score is now officially “qualified” to pursue a postgraduate medical degree.
The reduction in standards isn’t limited to reserved categories. General and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates have also seen dramatic drops. General and EWS candidates now face a cut-off reduced from 50th percentile (276 marks) to 7th percentile (103 marks).
General category persons with benchmark disabilities have seen their threshold drop from 45th percentile (255 marks) to 5th percentile (90 marks). SC/ST/OBC candidates, including those with disabilities, have experienced the steepest fall from 40th percentile (235 marks) to 0th percentile (minus 40 marks).
The directive, issued through a Ministry of Health & Family Welfare letter dated 9 January 2026, appears aimed at filling remaining vacancies during the third round of counselling. However, critics argue that by setting the bar at the 0th percentile, authorities have essentially removed any academic threshold whatsoever.
By qualifying candidates at the 0th percentile, the government is effectively allowing every single person who appeared for the exam – regardless of performance – to participate in the selection process for medical specialities.
This controversial move isn’t without precedent. It should be noted that in 2023, NEET-PG as well as super-speciality percentiles were similarly reduced to zero, however, the lowest mark was five at that time. Now, bringing negative marks and again 0 percentile to fill the seats, it suggests this may be becoming an established pattern rather than a one-off exception.
The medical community has responded with alarm and frustration.
“This decision will benefit the private medical colleges more than the deserving doctors who spend years working hard to gain a seat whilst someone else who just sleeps in the exam hall or does even worse to score negative marks will be eligible for the same seat that a top ranker will get,” said Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network.
“Seats will be sold for crores again. I don’t know how to react to this, but now candidates scoring minus 40 marks are also applicable to get a NEET-PG seat. In simple language, if you have money or belong to a specific category, then even if you’ve slept through the exam and scored negative marks, you’re equal to someone who topped or worked hard.”
I don’t know how to react on this , but now candidates scoring “Minus 40”marks are also applicable to get NEET PG seat .
In simple language if you have money or specific category then even if you slept in the exam and scored negative marks = someone who topped /worked hard. pic.twitter.com/6O9r1o0NIJ
— Dr.Dhruv Chauhan (@DrDhruvchauhan) January 13, 2026
Dr Rohan Krishnan of the Federation of All India Medical Associations was equally scathing in his criticism.
“NEET-PG merit is being killed. When qualifying cut-offs are dropped to 7th, 5th and even 0th percentile, what is the purpose of a national merit exam? This is not reform – this is surrender of standards,” he said.
“Instead of diluting merit just to fill seats, authorities must conduct an additional exam if required. Reduce the unnaturally inflated PG seats in sub-standard private colleges – many lack faculty, patient load and basic infrastructure, yet run 20 to 30 seats per clinical department only to mint money.”
🚨 NEET-PG MERIT IS BEING KILLED 🚨
When qualifying cut-offs are dropped to 7th, 5th & even 0th percentile, what is the purpose of a national merit exam????????????
This is not reform — this is surrender of standards.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instead of diluting merit just to fill… pic.twitter.com/FR02L3EM1H
— Dr. Rohan Krishnan (@DrRohanKrishna3) January 14, 2026
Dr Krishnan drew attention to how other countries maintain rigorous standards in medical education.
“Compare with MRCP(UK) – over 20,000 candidates appear yearly, with only approximately 40 to 50 percent clearing on first attempt. That is what real filtering looks like. Two exams are better than destroying merit,” he said.
“When exams lose meaning, money fills seats, not merit. Middle-class doctors lose. Crorepati admissions win.”
One doctor, speaking about the implications, raised concerns about the disconnect between undergraduate and postgraduate performance.
“The question is, how come a student who scored more than 50 percent in MBBS exams is getting negative marks in entrance exams? This speaks of how assessment is done in MBBS. It may be interesting to track these zero percentile PG entrants and see that most of them pass MS/MD in first attempt,” the doctor said.
Despite this radical shift in eligibility criteria, the NBEMS has clarified that there is no change to the NEET-PG 2025 ranks originally published on 19 August 2025. Whilst the ranks remain the same, the definition of what constitutes a “qualified” candidate has been fundamentally altered midway through the process.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
