The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2025 results have been declared recently, also revealing cut-off percentiles and scores that illustrate the tremendous competition shaping India's medical education.
As India’s largest medical admission exam, NEET-UG remains an important gateway for future doctors.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) and other regulatory agencies have established qualifying standards demonstrating a commitment to inclusive education, Shiksha reports. This year, the qualifying cut-offs of NEET-UG have seen a significant dip.
Candidates in the general category (unreserved/Economically Weaker Sections - EWS) needed to score in the 50th percentile, which translated to a score range of 686-144, and 11,01,151 candidates qualified.
Reserved categories (Other Backwards Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes - OBC, SC and ST) required a 40th percentile (143-113), with 88,692, 31,995, and 13,940 candidates qualifying, respectively.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has additionally focused on accessibility for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), providing modified criteria across categories:
UR/EWS-PwBD: 45th percentile (143–127), with 472 qualifying.
OBC-PwBD: 40th percentile (126-113); 216 qualifies
SC-PwBD: 40th percentile (126-113), 48 qualifiers.
ST-PwBD: 40th percentile (126–113), with 17 qualifying.
These policies are consistent with India's National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasises equity in higher education. However, the relatively small number of PwBD qualifiers (753 across all categories) has prompted requests for improved support systems, such as greater exam accommodations and outreach activities.
