Health Bulletin 19/February/2026

On the reduction in the NEET PG 2025 qualifying percentile, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court of India explaining that it had no role in deciding to lower the cut-off.

In a counter-affidavit filed before the top court, NBEMS clarified that the decision to reduce the qualifying percentile was taken by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission (NMC). The examination body said its responsibility is limited to conducting the NEET-PG exam, preparing the results, and handing them over to the counselling authority.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

NEET PG 2025: 95,913 candidates became eligible after cutoff reduction, NBE tells Supreme Court 'it had no role'

The Maharashtra Admissions Regulating Authority (ARA) has directed a private medical college in the state to adhere to its fixed fee structure.

The directive came after a postgraduate (PG) medical candidate complained that the college refused to admit him and demanded a higher fee.

Pointing out that high courts cannot relax medical admission timelines after the deadline expires but only supreme court has the authority to carve out exceptions in certain cases, the Madras High Court has held that High Courts do not have the power to order fresh counselling once the cut-off date for admissions is over even if seats remain vacant due to arbitrary inaction on the part of the officials concerned or on account of any other reason.

Setting aside the September 18, 2025 order of a single judge, which had directed the central medical counselling committee to conduct a mop-up round to fill vacant super specialty seats in Tamil Nadu despite the admission deadline having ended on August 31, 2025, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan observed that such a direction could not have been issued, especially when the Supreme Court had clearly stated in unequivocal terms that its direction should not be cited as a precedent.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

Only Supreme court can relax medical admission deadlines, not High Courts: Madras HC

Slamming the practice of imposing non-compete and non-solicitation clauses on doctors, the Madras High Court recently made strong remarks, questioning whether hospitals are being run as businesses or as healthcare institutions for patients. The court said that such contracts are unlawful and should not be used against doctors.

The observations came while the Court was hearing a plea filed by a private hospital seeking the appointment of an arbitrator against a Chennai-based doctor who joined another hospital soon after leaving the petitioner's.

For more details, check out the full story on the link below:

Non-compete clauses against doctors 'unlawful': Madras HC