The qualifying percentile for NEET PG 2023 has been eliminated. On September 20th, the Health Ministry directed the NMC to permit candidates to revise their preferences during counseling.
NEET PG 2023: Zero Percentile Cut-off Signals New Opportunities for Medical Graduates
Previously, NEET PG had specific cut-off percentiles:
General category: 50
PwD category: 45
Reserved category: 40
Now, the cut-off percentile for all categories has been set to zero.
The reasons behind this decision are as follows:
Addressing the problem of vacant clinical and non-clinical seats from previous years.
Expanding opportunities for doctors to pursue postgraduate degrees and specializations.
Both the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association had previously advocated for a reduction in the cut-off percentile.
Reopening Registrations and Mixed Reactions – NEET PG’s Zero Cut-off Decision”
The Medical Counselling Committee will reopen registrations before the third counseling round, enabling candidates to make changes to their choices. The counseling schedule will be announced soon.
Nonetheless, opinions on this decision vary. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) expressed astonishment and criticized the move, arguing that it diminishes the standards of medical education and the healthcare system. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin also raised concerns, suggesting that reducing the NEET PG cut-off to zero diminishes the significance of “eligibility” in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test.
Dr. Rohan Krishnan, Chairman of FAIMA, contended that this decision might foster corruption and result in higher fees at private colleges.
Conversely, Dr. Lakshya Mittal, the National President of the United Doctors Front Association, welcomed the decision, emphasizing that admission to PG seats would still be merit-based.
NEET is a competitive medical entrance exam in India conducted by the NTA on behalf of the government. It assesses eligibility for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental programs across the country, replacing various state-level exams. NEET evaluates knowledge in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology and is crucial for admission to programs like MBBS and BDS. Colleges use NEET scores to determine eligibility for medical and dental degrees.
