The Union Health Ministry in consultation with the National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided to reduce the eligibility criterion for NEET-Super Speciality (SS) courses from 50 percentile to 20 percentile, officials said on Tuesday, February 7.

Candidates who have scored 20 percentile and above in the NEET-Super Speciality will be eligible to participate in the "special mop-up round", they said, as per a report by PTI. "The competent authorities of the MoHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) in consultation with the NMC have decided to conduct an additional mop-up round...it may be conducted for remaining vacant seats after completion of two rounds of the NEET-SS 2022-23 counselling," a letter sent by the Medical Counselling Committee to the National Board of Examinations (NBE) stated.

The eligible candidates for the additional round will be candidates scoring 20th percentile and above — in all subjects — in the NEET-SS 2022 examination conducted by the NBE, it said. "Therefore, it is requested to you to kindly share the data of eligible candidates...," the letter stated.

Meanwhile, in what would come as a relief to students, the NBE extended the deadline for completing the Compulsory Rotatory Internship for aspirants to be eligible for the NEET PG 2023 yet again, as per the directions of the MoHFW. The fresh deadline is August 11, 2023 and the application window for NEET PG 2023 has been reopened in order for candidates now eligible for NEET PG to register for the exam.