Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court has refused to reduce the NEET UG qualifying cut-off for 2025–26 BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) admissions, rejecting a plea by private colleges to lower standards to fill vacant seats.
At present, around 364 seats remain unfilled in Madhya Pradesh. Across the country, there are 43,626 UG Ayurveda seats, including 3,480 in the state.
The cutoff would compromise educational quality, as academic sessions have already commenced. A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stated that the selection and appointment process for 2025–26 should now be concluded.
The court considered a cut-off change inappropriate despite concern about vacant seats.
SC concurred with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), noting that lowering the cut-off would undermine training standards. The ruling highlighted that classes for the 2025–26 session have already begun, and the academic year is nearing its end, making any reduction impractical.
NCISM maintained that a minimum qualification is essential for admission to AYUSH courses, i.e., the qualifying NEET UG percentile marks.
The petition was filed by NRI Institute of Ayurveda and others. Respondents included the Union of India, NCISM New Delhi, Medical Assessment and Rating Board for Indian System of Medicine, Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, and Directorate of AYUSH.
Dr. Rakesh Pandey, national spokesperson of the AYUSH Medical Association, said that even after completion of the stray vacancy round four on January 22, 2026, 364 BAMS seats remain vacant in Madhya Pradesh. The number of students who have cancelled admission is not available, and vacancies may rise further due to additional cancellations.
