New Delhi: The percentile-based merit system for admission to postgraduate (NEET-PG) and super-speciality (NEET-SS) medical courses may be replaced with a rank-based system.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has given in-principle approval to the proposal to change how candidates are ranked for admission and address concerns surrounding the existing qualifying and counselling process.
A 12-member expert committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court on November 3, recommending that merit lists for NEET-PG and NEET-SS be prepared on the basis of candidates’ ranks, LiveLaw reported.
Results would indicate candidates’ ranks rather than percentiles under the proposed system.
The change has not yet been formally implemented though. The NMC is expected to prepare draft regulations and invite comments from stakeholders before taking the proposal forward. The final rules and their implementation timeline are yet to be announced.
The recommendation comes amid concerns over the reduction of qualifying cut-offs during NEET-PG counselling.
In the 2025 admission cycle, the cut-off was lowered during later counselling rounds to fill vacant seats, raising questions about the eligibility criteria and minimum standards for postgraduate medical admissions. The admission cutoff marks was lowered to zero percentile or minus 40 marks for SC, ST, and OBC candidates to fill up the vacant seats, as reported by News18.
The system should maintain minimum academic standards and should not allow candidates with inadequate or negative scores to qualify, the expert committee has reportedly emphasised.
Other changes to the PG medical admission process have also been reportedly suggested by the committee has said. These include reducing fees for non-clinical courses, reviewing service-bond requirements for pre-clinical and para-clinical seats, and addressing differences in stipends between clinical and non-clinical residents.
The committee’s recommendations are being examined by the Supreme Court. Until the NMC finalises and notifies the regulations, the existing admission framework remains in place.
