Delhi HC Issues Notices Over NEET-PG 2023 Qualifying Percentile Reduction

The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre, the National Board of Examination (NBE), and the Medical Counselling Committee in response to a plea challenging the reduction of the cut-off qualifying percentile to zero for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2023 counselling.

A bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav also asked the Medical Counselling Committee to respond to the petition filed by three doctors who appeared in the NEET-PG 2023 examination on March 5 and participated in the counselling.

These doctors challenged a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare order from September 20, which notified candidates about the reduction of the qualifying percentile for PG courses in NEET-PG 2023 during the ongoing admission session. According to the order, the qualifying percentile was lowered to zero percentile, equivalent to minus 40 marks, for all categories.

The petitioners argued that the government’s order is erroneous, legally flawed, and should be set aside. They contended that reducing the eligibility criteria to zero percentile undermines the purpose of conducting the NEET-PG exam and dilutes the very notion of a ‘National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.’ They expressed concern that the order prioritizes seat filling over maintaining certain standards.

Previously, on September 25, the Apex Court refused to entertain a petition challenging the reduction of the cut-off qualifying percentile to zero for counselling. A notice from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), Directorate of Health Services, Government of India, informed candidates about this reduction in the qualifying percentile for NEET PG counselling in 2023 across all categories.