Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday issued notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the decision of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), National Medical Commission (NMC) and central government to reduce qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26. Doctors’ bodies have filed the PIL. SC will hear the matter on February 6.
The petition assails the notice dated January 13 issued by NBEMS reducing the qualifying cut-off. Petitioners contend the cut-off has been lowered to abnormally low levels, including zero and negative percentiles. They argue that reduction of qualifying standards for postgraduate medical education is arbitrary and violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) national executive Dr Akash Soni, GMC Bhopal, is one of the petitioners.
Dr Soni told Free Press, “Our PIL states that lowering the cut-off compromises patient safety, public health and integrity of medical profession. The decision, taken primarily to fill vacant seats, abolishes merit as a criterion and reduces a competitive examination to a mere administrative formality.”
The petition adds that medicine directly implicates human life, integrity and dignity, and institutionalising dilution of professional standards in such a field is impermissible, Dr Soni said.
