With many postgraduate medical seats remaining unfilled, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is likely to reduce the qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG), predicts Careers360.
This has already happened in the past editions of the exam. For instance, in 2023, the qualifying marks were lowered to zero percentile for all categories, a move that sparked controversy. Similarly, in 2022, the qualifying percentile was reduced by 15 percentile points across various categories.
On December 17, the Indian Medical Association - Junior Doctors' Network (IMA-JDN) expressed concerns over the number of vacant PG seats following the second round of NEET-PG 2024 counselling, claiming that 15,000-16,000 were still vacant.
They have urged the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to consider reducing the NEET-PG 2024 cut-off percentile to allow more candidates to participate in the ongoing counselling process.
“Reduction in cut-off marks will provide another chance to candidates, fostering talent development. Also, this will address the disparity between the growing demand for specialised healthcare services and the availability of qualified professionals,” IMA-JDN said in their letter to the Ministry of Health, reports Hindustan Times.
As of 2024, the current minimum qualifying percentiles set by NBEMS are:
General/Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates: 50 percentile
General People with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates: 45 percentile
Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates: 40 percentile