NMC proposes rank-based admission and fee reduction in NEET-PG

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed replacing the current percentile-based qualifying system for NEET-PG and NEET-SS with a purely rank-based system. According to a report by Hindustan Times, these significant changes could be implemented from the 2027 counselling cycle.

These proposals are part of the recommendations made by a 12-member expert committee formed by the Union Health Ministry on July 23. This committee was constituted following the Supreme Court's intervention in a case challenging the massive reduction in the NEET-PG qualifying cut-off. The Central Government on Tuesday submitted the committee's report and its recommendations to the court through an affidavit.

In the current system, candidates must achieve a prescribed minimum percentile to be eligible for postgraduate medical counselling. When seats remain vacant, authorities may reduce this percentile to increase the number of eligible candidates. A controversy arose regarding this during the NEET-PG 2025 process. On January 13, 2026, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) reduced the qualifying percentile for reserved category candidates to zero, resulting in candidates with minus 40 marks out of 800 becoming eligible for admission. For General and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates, the cut-off was reduced from the 50th percentile to the 7th percentile.

This decision was taken after approximately 9,000 postgraduate seats remained vacant following the second round of counselling. Social activist Harisharan Devgan and some doctors challenged this decision in the Supreme Court. They argued that admitting candidates with zero or negative scores could lead to a decline in the minimum standards of medical education.

As per the new proposal, instead of declaring qualifying percentiles, candidates will be awarded ranks based on their performance, and counselling will be conducted according to these ranks. The affidavit stated, "NMC is in the process of issuing new rules, in which only a rank-based system will be adopted for NEET-PG and NEET-SS counselling; no percentile marks will be declared in the results; candidates will only be given ranks."

According to the affidavit, NMC Secretary Dr. Raghav Langa informed the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) of this decision on October 1. A senior NMC official told Hindustan Times that the proposal has received in-principle approval, but the Commission will await the final directions of the court before taking further steps, including seeking suggestions from stakeholders.

The primary objective of these reforms is to address the issue of vacant postgraduate medical seats and delays in counselling, which affect the commencement of the academic session. Additionally, the proposal includes further digitisation of counselling, reduction in fees for non-clinical courses, review of residents' stipends, and biometric verification to prevent candidates from blocking seats.

The committee has warned that these changes should not compromise minimum standards. The affidavit mentions that the sanctity of NEET examinations must be maintained and the minimum standards of postgraduate medical education should not be lowered to the extent that candidates with extremely inadequate or negative performance become eligible for admission.