PIL filed in Allahabad HC challenging NEET PG 2025 reduced cutoff percentile
Allahabad: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Allahabad High Court challenging the recent decision of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to lower the NEET PG cutoff percentile.
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.
As per the revised qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025, for the academic session 2025-2026, for the General/EWS, General PwBD, SC/ST/OBC(Including PwBD of SC/ST/OBC) categories, the revised qualifying cut-off is 7th, 5th, and 0th percentile, respectively. Therefore, the revised cut-off score after lowering the cut-off percentile is 103 for General/EWS, 90 for General PwBD, and -40 for SC/ST/OBC(Including PwBD of SC/ST/OBC) categories, respectively.
Now, a PIL before the Allahabad high court has been filed by advocate Abhinav Gaur and registered with the Allahabad Bench registry. However, it has not yet been listed for a hearing.
According to a Bar And Bench media news report, in the PIL, Gaur has argued that candidates, who are unable to demonstrate even a minimal threshold of medical knowledge in the standardized and nationally-conducted examination, cannot be presumed competent for specialist roles.
The petition also states that inadequately trained specialist doctors pose a direct, regular, and continuous threat to patients during examinations, treatment, or surgery, thereby violating the right to health and life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
“A candidate qualified by securing entrance through negative marks cannot be said to have improved skills or qualification at the time of undergoing the course if he is otherwise not fit enough to secure the seat without relaxation to even minus marks,” the plea stated.
Meanwhile, the PIL seeks an order restraining the authorities from taking any further action based on the board's decision. Additionally, the petition appeals to the court to declare any admissions made based on the January 13th decision as null and void.
Challenging the "arbitrary and unprecedented reduction of qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025–26, including zero and negative scores", the United Doctors Front (UDF) National President Dr. Lakshya Mittal, along with others, has approached the Apex Court of India seeking directions to quash the NBEMS notification and issue directions to restore and protect minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education.
Also read: Doctors' body files plea in Supreme Court challenging NEET PG 2025 reduced cutoff percentile
