NEET-PG 2023: Zero Percentile Cutoff Shakes Up Medical Admissions

In a significant development, the Medical Council Committee (MCC) has taken the decision to reduce the qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) to 'Zero'. This announcement comes through an official notification issued by the committee, marking a major shift in the eligibility criteria for aspiring medical professionals.

1. Qualifying Percentile Reduced to Zero: The official notification states, "It is for the information to candidates that the qualifying percentile for PG Courses (Medical/ Dental) for NEET PG Counselling 2023 has been reduced to 'ZERO' across all categories by MoHFW." This decision effectively means that candidates from all categories, including General, SC/ST, and OBC, can now qualify for NEET PG without meeting a specific percentile requirement.

2. Reopening of Registration and Choice Filling: Following this announcement, fresh registration and choice filling for Round-3 of PG Counselling will be reopened for candidates. Those who were previously ineligible due to the percentile requirement will now have the opportunity to register for the postgraduate medical entrance exam. Additionally, candidates who have already registered will be allowed to edit their choices.

3. New Schedule for PG Counselling: A fresh schedule for Round-3 onwards for PG Counselling will be posted on the MCC website shortly. Candidates are strongly advised to regularly check the official website for further updates regarding the revised counselling process.

Background: The admission cut-off or qualifying percentile for NEET PG is the minimum rank at which admission is granted in medical colleges for postgraduate medical education. In 2022, the minimum qualification criterion for the general category was reduced from 50 percentile to 25 percentile, significantly lowering the bar for eligibility. The initial cut-off for general category students was 275, which was subsequently revised to 201 to accommodate more students in medical colleges nationwide. This change was made to address the issue of vacant seats that arose after the release of the initial cut-off. Similarly, for SC/ST/OBC category students, the reduction was made from 245 to 169 percentile.

This reduction in the qualifying percentile to 'Zero' for NEET PG 2023 represents a major reform in the admission process, potentially opening up new opportunities for aspiring doctors across the country.