NEET PG 2023 zero cut-off: DMK criticises NMC

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) N Ezhilan has vehemently criticised the National Medical Council's (NMC) decision to lower the eligibility criteria for PG medicine admissions to an unprecedented "zero" percentile, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

In a press conference, he contended that the move, if implemented earlier, could have offered opportunities to deserving candidates like Anitha, who tragically ended her life after being unable to secure an MBBS seat via NEET exam. Further, Ezhilan asserted that the recent reduction in the qualifying percentile for NEET PG, orchestrated by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), exposes the unnecessary nature of the test and its deviation from merit-based admission practices. 

Additionally, he went on to allege that this change primarily serves the interests of self-financing colleges and privately owned universities. Furthermore, Ezhilan criticised the medical council for eliminating the previous requirement of a minimum of 50% marks in the plus-two Board examinations for aspiring medical students. 

He argued that this new policy essentially opens the door to PG medical seats without any minimum marks threshold. Referring to the unfortunate denial of an MBBS seat to Anitha from Ariyalur due to the NEET exam, Ezhilan lamented, "Had the same criteria been in place when Anitha applied for her MBBS seat, she would have undoubtedly secured it by now and pursued her dream of becoming a doctor."