Rank-based admissions, lower fees for non-clinical courses: Panel proposes changes in NEET-PG

The panel proposes changing how NEET-PG admissions are decided. Candidates would receive ranks rather than percentile marks, while minimum standards would still prevent grossly inadequate performance from qualifying. The reforms also aim to make counselling faster and more transparent.

The package includes lower fees for non-clinical courses, revised resident stipends and equal salaries across clinical and non-clinical branches. It also recommends salary increments after super-speciality training and incentives for rural service. Biometric verification would help stop candidates from blocking seats.

The proposals are targeted for the 2027 counselling cycle, subject to regulations and approvals. The planned system would digitise counselling, reduce human intervention and share results online with state authorities. The NMC has approved the proposal in principle, but it will await the Supreme Court’s final directions and stakeholder suggestions before implementation.

A percentile-based system reports a candidate’s relative performance against other test-takers. A qualifying percentile sets a threshold, such as the 50th percentile, meaning performance at or above a specified comparison point. The actual marks needed can change with the examination group and results.

A rank-based merit system orders candidates from higher to lower performance. Seats are then offered according to that order, subject to eligibility rules, available seats and counselling choices. In the proposed NEET-PG system, only ranks would be given, while percentile marks would not be declared.

The change matters because the panel wants merit lists to guide counselling directly and reduce administrative delays. It does not mean all minimum standards disappear. The affidavit says standards must not be diluted so far that candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance become eligible. The new approach is targeted for 2027, pending approvals.

The 2026-27 NEET-PG examination involved 265,980 candidates competing for 63,177 postgraduate medical seats. These figures describe the scale of the national selection process. Many more candidates sought places than seats were available, making an ordered merit system and reliable counselling process important.

NEET-PG is the postgraduate examination, distinct from NEET-UG. After candidates receive results, counselling allocates available postgraduate seats. The proposed reforms would provide ranks instead of percentile marks and would digitise counselling with minimum human intervention. An updated, verified seat matrix would also be shared with the Medical Counselling Committee before counselling begins.

The panel’s recommendations are aimed at the 2027 counselling cycle, subject to final regulations and approvals. Online sharing of examination results with state counselling authorities is also being studied. The government says these changes could reduce counselling time and help candidates begin their academic sessions on schedule.

Authorities lowered the NEET-PG qualifying cut-offs to address vacant postgraduate medical seats. About 18,000 seats remained after the first counselling round on November 21, 2025. The second round on December 17 still left approximately 9,000 seats vacant, increasing pressure to widen eligibility.

On January 13, 2026, NBEMS reduced the qualifying percentile for reserved categories to zero. Candidates scoring as low as minus 40 out of 800 could then become eligible. For general and Economically Weaker Section candidates, the threshold fell to the seventh percentile, or 103 marks, from the 50th percentile, or 276 marks.

The panel’s affidavit argues that examination standards should not be diluted enough to admit candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance. Its proposed rank-based system would still retain minimum qualifying standards. The recommendations seek a balance between filling seats and preserving the examination’s competitive purpose.

Postgraduate medical courses require candidates to build advanced clinical knowledge and practical skills. If people with extremely weak examination performance enter without adequate preparation, they may struggle with demanding coursework, supervised clinical decisions and professional responsibilities. That could weaken training quality and create risks for patient care.

The concern is reflected in the panel’s warning that NEET’s sanctity must be maintained. It says minimum standards should not be diluted enough to make candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance eligible. In 2026, reserved-category candidates scoring as low as minus 40 out of 800 became eligible after the qualifying percentile was reduced to zero.

The article does not report a specific patient-safety incident caused by these admissions. The proposed reforms instead seek a balance: keep minimum standards meaningful, while using ranks and improved counselling to allocate seats efficiently. Their implementation is targeted for 2027, subject to approvals.

Several bodies have different responsibilities in the proposed system. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, or NBEMS, conducts NEET-PG and declares its results. The National Medical Commission, or NMC, is the apex medical regulatory body and is preparing the regulations for rank-based counselling.

The Medical Counselling Committee, or MCC, handles the national counselling process and works with the NMC on seat information. The NMC is expected to share an updated and verified seat matrix with MCC before counselling starts. The Union health ministry set up the expert panel and filed its recommendations in a Supreme Court affidavit.

State counselling authorities and Directors of Medical Education would receive examination results online under the proposed digital system. The article also notes that health is a state subject under the Constitution. The reforms therefore involve national regulators and exam bodies, but also require coordination with state authorities and final approvals.

Competitive examinations sort many applicants when available seats are limited. A ranking creates an ordered merit list, so candidates can be considered consistently rather than through arbitrary selection. Minimum qualifying standards add a basic threshold, ensuring that eligibility is not based solely on having taken the test.

The NEET-PG proposal illustrates both functions. Ranks would guide counselling and determine relative merit, while the affidavit insists that standards must not be diluted enough to admit candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance. This distinction became important after reserved-category eligibility was reduced to zero percentile, allowing scores as low as minus 40 out of 800.

Using both tools can support fair allocation and protect educational standards. The proposed system would not publish percentile marks, but it would retain minimum qualifying standards. If approved, the reforms could also shorten counselling and help candidates begin postgraduate training on time from the 2027 cycle.