Today, On 4th February, The Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre and other parties on a petition challenging the recent decision of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences to sharply reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET PG 2025-26.
The Supreme Court requested responses from the Centre and other parties regarding a petition that challenges the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’ (NBEMS) decision to significantly lower the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET PG 2025-26.
A bench composed of Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notices to the Union of India, the NBEMS, the National Medical Commission, and other relevant parties. The case is scheduled for the next hearing on February 6.
Due to over 18,000 postgraduate medical seats remaining unfilled nationwide, the Board adjusted the qualifying percentiles for NEET PG 2025 admissions, reducing it to zero from the previous 40 percentile for reserved categories.
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This change allows candidates with scores as low as minus 40 out of 800 to participate in the third round of counseling for PG medical seats.
The petition argues that eligibility criteria should not be changed once the selection process has begun, as candidates based their preparations, competition, and career decisions on the initially announced cut-offs.
The petition further asserts that postgraduate medical education must not be treated as a commercial venture, emphasizing that regulatory authorities are responsible for maintaining high standards.
Many members of the medical community have labeled the NBEMS’s decision as “unprecedented and illogical,” given the drastic reduction in the cut-off percentiles for all candidates in NEET PG 2025-26.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been submitted to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India under Article 32 of the Constitution, registered as Diary No. 3085/2026.
This litigation has been initiated by Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur, along with Advocates Satyam Singh Rajput, Adarsh Singh, and Advocate on Record Neema. The petition challenges the Notice dated 13.01.2026 issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which significantly reduced the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025–26 to alarmingly low, zero, and even negative levels.
The following Petitioners are behind this PIL:
- Mr. Harisharan Devgan (Social Worker and Farmer Leader)
- Dr. Saurav Kumar (Neurosurgeon)
- Dr. Lakshya Mittal (President, United Doctors Front)
- Dr. Akash Soni (Member, World Medical Association)
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The PIL addresses critical constitutional issues, arguing that the drastic reduction of minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. It expresses concerns about the serious implications for patient safety, public health, and the integrity of the medical profession.
Furthermore, the petition points out that lowering merit standards at the postgraduate level goes against established legal principles and the statutory framework stipulated by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
Case Title: Harisharan Devgan and Ors. vs. Union of India and Ors.
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