Vacant PG Medical Seats: Doctors Urge NMC to Lower Cut-off percentile for NEET PG 2023 Counselling

New Delhi: Referring to the fact that a large number of postgraduate medical seats are still vacant, the doctors under United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) have now urged the National Medical Commission (NMC) to reduce the cut-off percentile for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) Counselling 2023.

"Thousands MBBS pass-outs who appeared in NEET PG 2023, aspire to join Postgraduate courses. As per the current eligibility criteria for appearing in Counselling, due to non-reducing the eligibility cut-off marks to Participate in counselling, currently a big no.of PG Seats are vacant," the doctors mentioned in their letter to the Apex Medical Commission.

In the letter directed to the NMC Secretary, the association has pointed out that the registration window for Mop-up round will be closed on 12/09/2023 as per the notification by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

"If NBE will not revise the lowering in qualifying cut-off percentile to participate in ongoing counselling the vacancy will be same which will be UNJUSTICE for the potential candidates for getting admission in Post graduate courses," the doctors mentioned in their letter.

"Large number of PG seats will be wasted for current academic year. India needs large number of specialists so that they can serve this nation being as a specialist," the letter further added.

The doctors also referred to the fact that previously on similar grounds, the Union Health Ministry last year took the decision to reduce the qualifying cut-off percentile for NEET PG 2020, NEET PH 2021, and NEET PG 2022 counselling to fill the vacant seats.

Medical Dialogues had last year reported that bringing relief to the MBBS doctors seeking PG medical admissions, the the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) approved lowering the cut-off marks for NEET PG 2022 by 25 percentile across all categories.

Also Read: NEET PG 2022 cutoff lowered by 25 percentile

However, referring to the lowering of cut-off percentile in the previous years, UDFA in its letter directed to the NMC mentioned, "Although that reduction in Qualifying percentile criteria wasn't sufficient to fill all the vacant PG seats. For this Year qualifying cut-off percentile must be reduced up to a certain level more than previous year, so that all clinical and non- clinical seats can be filled."

"Its high time the Government of India should make a fair play of justice to lowering the qualifying cut-off percentile up to a significant level for aspirants to appear in ongoing counselling. Therefore, on the behalf of all those MBBS doctors and various representations , we request you to kindly please release reduced qualifying cut-off percentile with immediate effect so that they can get a fair chance to appear in ongoing NEET PG 2023 Mop-up and stray rounds counselling," it further added.

Earlier this year, the Union Minister of State for Health, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Lok Sabha that in the last three years, altogether 860 MBBS and 12758 PG Medical Seats remained vacant

According to the year-wise break-up of vacant medical seats, only in the last year during the academic year 2022-2023, altogether 262 UG medical seats and 4400 PG medical seats went vacant.

Also Read:Altogether 860 MBBS, 12758 PG Medical Seats Remained Vacant in the Last Three Years: MoS Health