NEET-PG Merit System May Shift to Rank-Based Selection as Centre Proposes Changes

The Centre has proposed a fundamental change in the merit-based admission process for postgraduate medical courses, recommending a shift from the existing percentile-based qualifying system to a rank-based system for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduates (NEET-PG) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Super Speciality (NEET-SS).

The proposal was placed before the Supreme Court of India on November 3, 2026, through a report prepared by a 12-member expert committee constituted to examine the existing medical entrance and admission framework.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has given in-principle approval to the proposed change. A draft regulation is expected to be prepared and circulated for consultation with stakeholders before the new framework can be implemented. 

Supreme Court examines concerns over NEET-PG qualifying criteria 

The proceedings are connected to petitions challenging the substantial reduction in qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025.

The controversy emerged after the Union Health Ministry approved revised qualifying criteria for the third round of postgraduate medical counselling in January 2026.

Under the revised criteria, the qualifying marks for General and EWS candidates were reduced from 276 to 103 out of 800. For General PwBD candidates, the cut-off was lowered from 255 to 90. For SC, ST and OBC candidates, including PwBD candidates in these categories, the qualifying score was reduced from 235 to minus 40.

The revision was intended to address the large number of postgraduate medical seats remaining vacant despite multiple rounds of counselling. 

A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe had previously raised concerns about the substantial reduction and its possible implications for postgraduate medical education standards.

The committee's examination of the admission system followed the Court's directions to the Union government to conduct a comprehensive review and recommend measures to address the recurring problems in the process. 

Measures proposed to address vacant medical seats

Apart from recommending a change in the merit system, the expert committee has suggested several measures to improve postgraduate medical seat utilisation.

It's recommendation include:

Lower fees for non-clinical courses: State fee fixation committees and other competent authorities should consider separate and lower fee structures for non-clinical postgraduate branches.

Exemption from service bonds: Candidates opting for pre-clinical and para-clinical courses should be exempted from service bond requirements to encourage admissions.

Additional counselling rounds: Further counselling rounds may help prevent postgraduate seats from remaining vacant, although the committee acknowledged that additional rounds could extend the admission timeline.

Preventing seat blocking: The NTA and NBEMS should explore stronger identity verification measures, including KYC and biometric checks, to prevent candidates from participating merely to block seats.

Dental and nursing education: Authorities should consider better employment opportunities, fee reductions and reviewing courses where seats remain vacant for two to three consecutive years. 

Changes proposed to streamline medical counselling 

The committee has also examined delays and administrative difficulties in the medical admission process.

Several changes have already been introduced in the 2026–27 counselling process, including an online system that allows candidates to retain an allotted seat while seeking an upgrade to another institution.

Under the revised arrangement, candidates can choose between the 'Freeze' and 'Float' options. Those opting for the Float facility can accept their allotted seats online and participate in the upgradation process without physically visiting the institution.

The system also provides for online document uploads, verification by institutional nodal officers and online processing when candidates move from one allotted seat to another.

The integration of the National Medical Commission with the Medical Counselling Committee's portal has also been introduced to improve verification of medical college seat information. 

For subsequent counselling cycles, the committee has recommended that the NMC, NBEMS and NTA provide verified seat information well before counselling begins. It has also proposed fixed annual counselling schedules, updated standard operating procedures and a mechanism for sharing NEET results directly with state counselling authorities.

State governments asked to examine additional measures 

The report also highlights issues concerning stipends and service conditions for postgraduate medical students.

State governments have been advised to examine differences in stipends between clinical and non-clinical residents, consider incentives for doctors willing to serve in rural areas and review existing service bond policies.

These measures are intended to address some of the factors that may influence candidates' willingness to take up particular postgraduate medical courses.

Supreme Court allows time for response 

During the November 3 proceedings, counsel appearing for the petitioners questioned whether replacing the percentile-based system with a rank-based mechanism would adequately address the concerns surrounding the reduction of qualifying standards.

The petitioners were granted time to submit their responses to the expert committee's report, following which the matter was adjourned.

The proposed transition is not yet a final change in the admission rules. Although the NMC has given in-principle approval, the regulatory process, including preparation of draft regulations and stakeholder consultation, remains to be completed.

The coming regulatory steps will determine how the proposed merit-based framework is structured and when it can be introduced for postgraduate medical admissions.