NEET PG could move away from percentile cut-offs to a rank-based merit system, the Supreme Court was told on 3 November. The proposal is in a report by a 12-member expert committee set up by the Centre, which also covers NEET SS, LiveLaw reported. Some reports say the change would apply from 2027.
It is not final. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved the idea in principle, but no regulation has been issued; a draft will follow after comments from stakeholders, according to the report. The bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe took the report on record and adjourned the case so the parties can respond. We could not access the committee’s report or the court order, so this story relies on court reporting.
Why this came up: the cut-off that fell below zero
The case (Harisharan Devgan & Ors v Union of India, W.P.(C) 136/2026) challenges a 13 January 2026 notice that lowered the qualifying cut-offs for Round 3 of NEET PG 2025-26 counselling:
| Category | Earlier cut-off | Reduced to |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 50th percentile (276 out of 800) | 7th percentile (103 marks) |
| General PwBD | 45th percentile (255) | 5th percentile (90) |
| SC / ST / OBC, including PwBD | 40th percentile (235) | 0th percentile (minus 40) |
The petitioners say allowing zero and negative scores is arbitrary and puts patient safety at risk. The Centre argues that NEET PG only ranks already licensed MBBS doctors for limited seats, and that competence is tested at the end of the MD or MS course.
Percentile and rank: what is the difference?
- Today: a candidate must first clear a qualifying percentile. Only those who clear it can take part in counselling. When seats stay empty, the cut-off is lowered between rounds, as happened in January.
- As proposed: merit rank would take the place of the percentile threshold. The committee says this would shorten the gap between Round 2 and Round 3 of counselling.
- Not yet clear: how a minimum standard would work under ranks. The committee said a lower cut-off cannot go so far that candidates with “grossly inadequate or negative performance” become eligible, but the detailed rules have not been published.
What it means for students
If you are in NEET PG 2026 counselling, nothing has changed. MCC’s Round 2 registration is scheduled to open on 6 November. If you are preparing for NEET PG 2027, keep preparing as usual and watch for the NMC’s draft regulation, which is where the actual rules will appear.
The report also points to other changes: a fixed timeline covering college applications, the exam and counselling, more digital counselling at MCC, and measures such as KYC or biometrics to stop seat blocking. For exam details and past cut-offs, see the NEET PG page on AglaSem Admission.
Sources: LiveLaw and LawChakra reports of the Supreme Court hearing on 3 November 2026. The committee report and court order were not available to us.
