NEW DELHI, November 4 (Aalimi Nation) – An expert committee has recommended replacing the percentile-based qualifying system for NEET-PG with a rank-based merit system, in a report placed before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in the case on the lowered NEET-PG cut-offs.
The 12-member committee was set up on the Court's directions to audit the postgraduate medical admission system. Its report was annexed to an affidavit filed by the Union government. The bench, which includes Justice Alok Aradhe, directed that copies be given to all counsel so that their responses could be filed. The Court has not ruled on the merits.
The panel proposed the rank-based system for both NEET-PG and NEET-SS, the super-speciality entrance test. The National Medical Commission has given in-principle approval, and a draft regulation is expected to be released for consultation with stakeholders.
The report also made several suggestions aimed at the vacancies that have long affected non-clinical branches:
Lower fees for non-clinical courses to attract more candidates.
Exempt candidates in pre-clinical and para-clinical seats from service bonds.
Ask states to examine stipend gaps between clinical and non-clinical residents, and consider incentives for rural service.
Avoid additional counselling rounds, which lengthen the process.
Explore biometric verification to curb seat blocking, identified as a major cause of vacancies.
The committee also advised retaining counselling changes already introduced by the Medical Counselling Committee, including "freeze" and "float" options, online relieving, document verification, single fee payment at the joining institute and integrated portals.
The case arose from the decision to sharply reduce the qualifying cut-offs for NEET-PG 2025 counselling. The Centre has told the Court that the reduction expanded the pool of eligible candidates without diluting merit, because admissions remain strictly rank-based. It has also argued that such matters fall within the executive's domain. In its affidavit, the Centre said competitive examinations "should not be reduced to an administrative formality."
According to the Centre's submissions as relayed in court reports, a large share of All India Quota seats remained vacant after the second round of counselling, which it cited as the reason for the cut-off reduction. One report put the figure at 9,621 of 31,742 seats; that number could not be confirmed against a second source.
Advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the committee had not justified the sharp reduction in qualifying marks and had instead proposed changing the marking system itself. The petitioners had earlier argued that awarding marks in this way undermines merit-based selection and violates the equality guarantee under Article 14 of the Constitution.
The Court has given the parties time to respond to the report. A date for the next hearing was not available in the accounts reviewed. If the National Medical Commission circulates its draft regulation, medical associations, state governments and aspirants will be able to submit comments before any rule is finalised.
For aspirants, the proposal signals a possible end to percentile cut-offs, though the Court's response and the final regulation will determine whether and when any change takes effect.
