The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has lowered the minimum qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024, adjusting it to the 5th percentile across all categories. This decision, which follows directives from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, enables more candidates to qualify for counseling and medical admissions.
According to the official notification from the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), the revised qualifying percentiles apply to several categories: General/EWS, UR-PwBD, and SC/ST/OBC, including PwBD of SC/ST/OBC. This substantial reduction follows numerous iterations of changes to the cut-off, aimed at increasing the number of eligible candidates for medical postgraduate courses.
Looking back at previous adjustments, the originally set qualifying percentiles were significantly higher: the 50th percentile for General/EWS candidates, 45th for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), and 40th for reserved categories. Earlier this year, the cut-off was reduced to 15 for General/EWS candidates and 10 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates. The current change marks another milestone—reminiscent of similar adjustments made over the past few years.
Last year, the NEET PG 2023 qualifying percentile was dropped to zero for all categories, allowing virtually all applicants to become eligible. Prior to this, the general category cut-off dropped from the 50th percentile to 35% and for the PwD and reserved categories, the cut-offs were reduced to 20%.
With this latest revision, more candidates will be able to participate in NEET PG counseling, which could significantly escalate the competition for postgraduate medical seats, especially within esteemed institutions. Eligible candidates are encouraged to access the MCC website for details on the counseling process, with upcoming updates on seat allocation and timelines expected to be released soon.
Education experts have raised concerns about the quality of medical education following such reductions. Dev Sharma, an education expert, described this as a compromise on quality, stating, “This decision has been taken due to the vacant PG seats.” He explained, “The eligible and talented medicos who have completed MBBS do not see position, prestige and money in these non-clinical PG courses.”
The stark drop-off of interest among students to pursue non-clinical specializations, like anatomy, biochemistry, and community medicine, is evident through the high volume of vacancies, particularly within private medical institutions. Sharma noted, “If the data of vacant PG seats of all-India and state quota is analysed, it will be seen these subjects have the most vacancies.”
For the stray vacancy round of NEET PG counseling, he mentioned, “366 PG seats are vacant for the stray vacancy round of NEET PG counselling. Out of these vacant seats, 337 are from private medical institutions.” He anticipates similar trends across various states, emphasizing the significant pressure from private educational institutions to fill these vacant slots has contributed to the current cut-off reduction.
This consistent lowering of qualifying percentiles raises some questions about the future standards of medical education and the reasons behind candidates' reluctance to pursue certain postgraduate specializations. Yet, the present situation indicates the MCC's commitment to addressing the need for more enrollments amid declining interest levels among aspiring medical professionals.
Overall, the decision to lower the NEET PG 2024 cut-off to the 5th percentile reflects both the changing educational demands and the necessity to adapt to the burgeoning requirements of medical education. With changes aiming to facilitate greater access to counseling for numerous candidates, observers will be keeping a close eye on how this dynamic will affect future admissions and the quality of medical practitioners entering the field.