Why is NEET PG 2024 cut-off reduced? Experts, students have an answer

Dr Shubham Anand, a junior resident at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, and national chairman of the Global Association of Indian Medical Students (GAIMS), criticised the decision.

He highlighted how the unplanned surge in medical colleges and postgraduate seats, coupled with relaxed norms, has led to inadequately trained medical graduates. 

“The reduction in the NEET PG percentile cut-off should be debated. Some may view it as a way to avoid seat vacancies, but the lack of infrastructure and qualified faculty in many colleges compromises the quality of medical training,” said Dr Anand.

He called for stricter inspections by the NMC to ensure proper training standards. Dr Rohan Krishnan, founder of the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), compared the unregulated opening of medical colleges to “tea shops” without basic ingredients like milk, sugar, or tea leaves.

“These colleges lack proper infrastructure, teaching staff, and patients, making them unappealing to meritorious students,” he said.

He warned that poorly trained doctors graduating from such institutions could damage the nation’s healthcare system in the coming decade. Dr Dhruv Chauhan, a national council member of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), acknowledged the need to reduce the cut-off but warned of potential misuse by private medical colleges. 

“Reducing the cut-off to as low as 10 percentile might lead to the commercialisation of medical education. Seats could be sold at high prices, attracting money-minded individuals rather than dedicated professionals,” he said.  He urged the government to investigate why seats remain vacant and to create more job opportunities for doctors.

Increase in number of medical seats

As per the Centre, the number of medical colleges in India has grown by 102%, from 387 in 2014 to 780 in 2024. Similarly, MBBS seats have increased by 130%, from 51,348 to 1,18,137, according to data presented in the Rajya Sabha in December 2024.

Also, an increase of 135% in PG seats from 31,185 in 2014 to 73,157 in 2024 is seen. However, this rapid expansion has often prioritised quantity over quality, say doctors leading to seats remaining vacant even after multiple rounds of counselling.

Many practicing MBBS graduates claim that newly opened colleges fail to provide adequate facilities and clinical exposure, deterring students from enrolling. Private medical colleges, the doctors say, charge exorbitant fees, making education unaffordable for many aspirants. Non-clinical branches like anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry see low demand due to limited job opportunities and competition from non-medical graduates.

“The demand for non-clinical branches has faded due to the exponential increase of clinical PG seats. Nowadays only those who have a passion for the para clinical branches including pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, forensic medicine and toxicology, and community medicine join them,” said Dr Anand.

A few years back, clinical PG seats were fewer so even the non clinical or para clinical seats used to get filled unlike today when the number of seats in clinical branches has increased significantly, he added.

What do NEET PG candidates look for in a medical college?

Students are increasingly selective about the location of the hospital, quality of education and clinical exposure they will receive. Many choose not to compromise on these aspects, even if it means leaving seats vacant.

A woman student from Haryana who cleared NEET PG in 2024 did not register for the counselling as the seat allocation in a remote college far from home with limited resources didn’t make sense to her. “I didn’t want to compromise on the quality of education and training for three years of my career,” she added.

She is working as a visiting doctor in a private hospital in Delhi. Another woman doctor who cleared PG and has been practicing in her hometown in Assam said: “Being offered a seat in a far-off state with a language barrier and lack of specialisation options was a tough decision. I chose not to join, as it would affect my ability to excel in my field and provide effective patient care.” The rapid increase in seats has also created a mismatch between supply and demand, leaving many seats in both clinical and non-clinical specialties unfilled.  

Interestingly, in 2023, the NEET PG qualifying percentile was reduced to zero across all categories and in 2022, the NEET PG cut-off for general category candidates was reduced from the 50th percentile to 35th. The cut-off for unreserved PwD candidates was dropped from 45th percentile to 20th percentile and for students belonging under SC, ST and OBC (including PwD of SC, ST, OBC), the cut-off was reduced to 20th percentile from 40th in 2022. Both moves, were severely criticised by doctors’ bodies and students.

Despite these reductions in the cut-off, multiple seats remained vacant in PG courses. As per data shared by the government in 2022, these are the vacant seats in PG courses.

The reason for seats lying vacant according to most students also lies in the counselling committee. The NEET PG counselling rounds have repeatedly been getting delayed. A junior resident at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, said that many students who remain in doubt whether they would get their desired branch remain in dilemma and eventually starting their preparation for the next year.

“However, there are many students who block the seats and later either leave or upgrade to another college leaving the seat empty till the last round,” he added. While the reduction in the NEET PG cut-off may temporarily address the issue of vacant seats, it raises concerns about the long-term impact on the quality of medical education and healthcare in India.

Experts suggest measures such as improving infrastructure, regulating fees, incentivising non-clinical specialties, regular inspections by the NMC, and aligning seat expansion with the actual demand and capacity of the healthcare system.  

“Filling vacant seats is important, but it should not come at the expense of quality. A poorly trained doctor can do more harm than good, and the focus must remain on ensuring rigorous training and infrastructure,” the FAIMA founder added.