The postgraduate NEET PG and NEET SS admission process might look different from 2027. According to reports, the NMC is considering a proposal to shift admissions from a percentile-based system to a rank-based system.
Under the proposed system, candidates will be ranked by their examination performance instead of the current percentile-based qualifying module.
The shift is expected to speed up postgraduate medical counselling and will also reduce the need to lower the cut-off to fill vacant seats even after counselling.
On November 3, the proposal was presented in the Supreme Court. A report was submitted by a 12-member expert committee set up by the Union Government on the court’s recommendation.
In an interview with TOI, Union Doctors Front Chairperson, Dr. Lakshay Mittal, said, “These were the key concerns raised by stakeholders at the October 9 DGHS meeting. Changing the merit-list methodology without addressing these issues is merely changing the approach, not reforming medical education.”
According to reports, the NMC is currently working on the draft regulations. The draft will then be shared with the stakeholders for their feedback before being finalized.
As per the report rank, the based system might be introduced by 2027. However, the exact timeline is not yet confirmed.
The NMC has granted in-principle approval to the proposal, but the regulations have not yet been finalised. The proposed reforms are targeted for the 2027 counselling cycle, subject to the finalisation of regulations and necessary approvals. The proposal covers both NEET-PG and NEET-SS admissions.
For context, 265,980 candidates appeared for NEET-PG 2026 to compete for 63,177 postgraduate medical seats for the 2026-27 academic year.
Frequent reductions in NEET-PG qualifying cut-offs to fill vacant postgraduate medical seats have triggered this major policy change.
Even as top rankers in NEET-PG 2026 continue to choose General Medicine and Radiology as their preferred fields, entry standards for lower tiers have plummeted.
On January 13, 2026, a notification was issued by the NBEMS, according to which the cutoffs were lowered drastically for the third round of NEET-PG 2025 counselling.
General/EWS: Dropped from the 50th percentile (276 marks) to the 7th percentile (103 marks).
General PwBD: Dropped from the 45th percentile (255 marks) to the 5th percentile (90 marks).
SC/ST/OBC (including PwBD): Plummeted from the 40th percentile (235 marks) down to the zero percentile, which allowed candidates with a negative score of minus 40 marks to qualify.
However, the petitioner later argued that admitting candidates with low percentile might hamper the quality of postgraduate medical education and patient safety.
According to reports, the expert committee said that the percentile should not be lowered to a point where candidates with negative or lower scores get admitted to postgraduate medical institutions.
The change from a percentile-based qualifying system to a rank-based qualifying module will help the committee reduce the number of cut-off revisions to fill the vacant seats and speed up the counselling process.
The committee has also emphasised that minimum standards of postgraduate medical education must be maintained and that competitive examinations should not become merely an administrative formality to fill vacant seats.
However, the proposed change has also raised concerns about maintaining academic standards. Doctors have questioned whether switching to a rank-based system alone would prevent candidates with very low or negative scores from becoming eligible for postgraduate medical seats. The broader concern is that vacant seats should not be filled by compromising minimum qualifying standards.
Also see: NEET PG 2026 Round 1 Results: Why General Medicine and Radiology Dominated Top Ranks While Surgical Branches Drew Fewer Choices
According to reports, high fees in private medical colleges are another reason why MBBS and MD seats are left vacant even when so many students qualify for NEET-UG and NEET-PG.
The government mentioned that the National Medical Commission (NMC) created guidelines in February 2022 to regulate fees for half of the seats in private colleges and deemed universities. However, these guidelines are still under litigation, and state authorities are ultimately responsible for setting fee structures.
Lower stipends and pay scales also hindered the number of students who might take up a student loan to studying postgraduate medicine; however, the government clarified that the stipends paid to students in NBEMS institutions match the amounts given to MD, MS, DM, and MCh students in state-run colleges.
The government also said that the bonds fall under the state judiciary.
The expert committee has recommended that state governments examine disparities in stipends between residents in clinical and non-clinical branches. It has also called for equal remuneration without salary discrimination between clinical and non-clinical specialties.
Additionally, the committee recommended increments for doctors after completing super-speciality training and special incentives for doctors willing to work in rural areas. These recommendations are intended to address disparities in postgraduate medical training and encourage doctors to serve in underserved areas.
The committee has also suggested exempting candidates opting for pre-clinical and para-clinical courses from compulsory service bonds. However, the decision on service bond policies rests with the respective state governments or competent authorities. The recommendation does not amount to a nationwide exemption already in force.
According to reports, the committee has also suggested other changes to make the admission process faster and more transparent.
The Medical Counselling Committee is working towards making the entire counselling process online, as well as fixing a schedule for medical entrance exams and the counselling process.
Medical colleges will also be asked to submit verified seat details, including the number of seats in every category and quota.
The NMC has been asked to be a part of the counselling software to re-verify the seat details which were initially submitted by various medical colleges.
The committee has also recommended that the NMC, NBEMS and NTA provide verified seat details well before counselling begins. The NMC is expected to share an updated and verified seat matrix with the MCC to improve the accuracy of available seat information.
The MCC has also proposed a fixed counselling schedule for each academic year and course, with the schedule to be submitted to the Supreme Court for ratification. The committee has recommended regular stakeholder meetings before and after counselling to identify problems and improve subsequent rounds.
Another significant recommendation concerns preventing candidates from blocking medical seats. The committee has suggested that the NBEMS and the National Testing Agency (NTA) explore Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and biometric verification during entrance examinations. These measures are intended to prevent candidates from appearing in examinations merely to block seats.
The committee has also proposed sharing NEET examination results online with state counselling authorities and Directors of Medical Education (DMEs) to improve coordination between national and state-level admission authorities.
The MCC has already introduced digital measures for the 2026-27 counselling process, including the 'Freeze' and 'Float' options. Candidates opting for Float can accept an allotted seat online while seeking an upgrade without physically visiting the institution. The release of previously allotted seats after an upgrade, document uploads and verification have also been moved online.
To address concerns about vacant postgraduate medical seats, the committee also suggested lowering the fees of non-clinical courses.
It has also suggested that candidates who are opting for para-clinical or pre-clinical courses must be exempted from service bond requirements.
According to reports, these suggestions were made to encourage more students to pursue postgraduate medical courses.
The expert committee recommended that hospitals pay postgraduate residents equally, removing any salary discrimination between clinical and non-clinical specialties.
Additionally, the panel suggested that the government offer special incentives to doctors who accept postings in rural areas.
The committee also addressed vacancies in dental and nursing courses. It recommended creating more employment opportunities for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and BSc Nursing graduates. It also suggested that competent authorities consider discontinuing seats that remain vacant for two to three consecutive years and reviewing the fee structures for these courses.
On November 3, the Supreme Court adjourned the matter to examine the proposal submitted by the expert committee. The court is yet to take a final decision about the rank-based qualifying system for postgraduate medical education in the country.
The Court granted the petitioners time to file their responses to the committee's report before adjourning the matter. The proposed reforms will therefore remain subject to the regulatory process and further proceedings before the Supreme Court.
References:
1. Medical Counselling Committee. “PG Medical Counselling 2026.” Accessed November 5, 2026. https://mcc.nic.in/pg-medical-counselling/.
2. Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Tamil Nadu. “Selection Committee.” Accessed November 5, 2026. https://dmesc.tnmedicalonline.co.in/Notification.aspx.
3. National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. “Revised Cut-Off Percentile for NEET-PG 2025.” January 13, 2026. https://natboard.edu.in/viewNotice.php?NBE=NlZON01lQnErVzZvRXJoM2s1dHBXZz09.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)