NEET PG cutoff: Qualifying standards should not be diluted to admit candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance, says Panel

New Delhi: The Union Government's expert committee has opined that the minimum qualifying standards in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) examinations should not be diluted to the point that candidates with negative marks become eligible for admission to medical courses.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that a 12-member expert committee of the Union Government submitted its report before the Supreme Court bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe.

The committee, chaired by DGHS Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna, on 23.07.2026, had been tasked with formulating a mechanism to conduct a comprehensive audit of the existing NEET admission system, identify lacunae and gaps in the current process, and recommend practical and implementable solutions.

The expert committee's report includes a chronological Summary of actions taken by MCC and Stakeholders in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Court, proceedings conducted by the committee in accordance with the Terms of Reference (ToRs), the role of MCC in counselling, roles of NMC, NBEMS, NTA, and State counselling authorities, reforms done in the Counselling Process till the current academic year 2026, issues and suggestions, and proposed reforms in counselling in upcoming years.

In its report, the committee addressed deliberation on modalities of reduction of percentile, keeping in view that minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education are not diluted to the extent of permitting candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance to become eligible for admission and that cut-offs should not be reduced merely to fill vacant seats and for institutional convenience.

While addressing the solutions suggested by MCC, taking the viewpoint of stakeholders of NEET Examination and Counselling, the report mentioned that the percentile is reduced by competent authorities in consonance with the stakeholders depending on the number of seats lying vacant.

"However, the sanctity of NEET examinations should be maintained and minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education is not diluted to the extent of permitting candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance to become eligible for admissionthe significance of competitive examinations should not be reduced to an administrative formality," it mentioned.

The Central Government had set up the expert panel in response to a batch of pleas filed before the Supreme Court challenging the government's decision to sharply reduce the qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2025-26.

NBE, in a notice dated 13.01.2026, reduced the minimum qualifying percentile cut-off for counselling of the third round of National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025-2026 for various categories of candidates.