NEET PG 2025 Cutoff Reduction Challenged in Supreme Court
Supreme Court PIL against NEET PG 2025 cut-off reduction, qualifying percentile changes, patient safety concerns, medical education standards, constitutional issues, and possible impact on Round-3 counselling and admissions
Supreme Court Case Against NEET PG 2025 Cut-off Reduction
A new and important case has been filed in the Supreme Court of India challenging the recent reduction in the qualifying cut-off for NEET PG 2025–26. The case questions whether lowering the cut-off to extremely low levels is safe for patients and fair for the medical profession.
This Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenges the notice issued on 13 January 2026 by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which reduced the qualifying percentile to very low levels, including zero or near-zero percentiles for some categories.
Who Filed the PIL?
The petition has been filed by a group of individuals connected to the medical field and public interest, including:
- 1.Harisharan Devgan (Social Worker)
- 2.Dr Saurav Kumar (Neurosurgeon)
- 3.Dr Lakshya Mittal (President, United Doctors Front)
- 4.Dr Akash Soni (Member, World Medical Association)
The case is registered as Harisharan Devgan vs Union of India, Diary No. 3085/2026.
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Predict NowMain Arguments Raised in the Petition
The petitioners argue that medicine is not an ordinary profession. Doctors deal directly with human life, health, and safety. They say that reducing PG qualifying standards only to fill vacant seats can seriously harm patient care in the future.
According to the plea, such a move:
- 1.Dilutes merit in postgraduate medical education
- 2.Turns a competitive national exam into a mere formality
- 3.Risks patient safety and public health
- 4.Weakens trust in the medical profession
The petition claims that this decision violates Article 14 (right to equality) and Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution of India.
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Concern Over Medical Standards
The plea clearly states that postgraduate medical training requires strong academic foundations. Lowering the cut-off to extremely low levels, just to fill seats, may allow underprepared candidates into demanding PG courses.
The petitioners also argue that this decision goes against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, which aims to maintain high standards in medical education to protect patients and society.
Current Status of the Case
As of now, the case has been registered by the Supreme Court, but no hearing date has been announced yet. Counselling for NEET PG Round 3 is continuing as per the existing schedule.
Any future order by the Supreme Court may impact the counselling process, so candidates are advised to stay updated through official announcements and reliable news sources.
Similar NEET PG Cut-off Cases from Previous Years
This is not the first time NEET PG cut-off reduction has created controversy. In the past, similar decisions led to protests, legal cases, and strong reactions from doctors across the country.
NEET PG 2023: Zero Percentile Case in Supreme Court
In 2023, the NEET PG cut-off was reduced to zero percentile for all categories. This allowed candidates with very low scores to become eligible for counselling. Many doctors strongly opposed this decision.
A case was filed in the Supreme Court to challenge the zero cut-off. However, the court dismissed the petition, stating that the petitioner was not directly affected. The court allowed the counselling process to continue.
Delhi High Court Case in 2023
Around the same time, a group of doctors approached the Delhi High Court. They argued that reducing the cut-off removed the importance of merit and made the examination meaningless.
The High Court issued a notice to the government seeking clarification. However, no major change was made, and counselling proceeded with the reduced cut-off.
NEET PG 2024: Cut-off Reduced to 5th Percentile
In 2024, the cut-off was lowered again, this time to the 5th percentile for all categories. Doctors’ bodies such as FORDA and FAIMA called the decision unreasonable and risky for healthcare quality.
Despite protests and public criticism, the government justified the move by pointing to a large number of vacant seats. The counselling process continued without legal intervention.
Past cases show a clear pattern. Whenever cut-offs are reduced, doctor groups raise concerns about education quality and patient safety. However, courts often balance these concerns against the need to fill vacant medical seats.
In the current NEET PG 2025 case, the petitioners include medical professionals, which may carry more weight. Still, the final decision will depend on how the court balances merit with national healthcare needs.
