NEET-PG 2025 Crisis: Zero Cut-off "Solution" vs. Expert Reforms NEW DELHI, January 14 — The National Board of Examinations (NBE...
NEET-PG 2025 Crisis: Zero Cut-off "Solution" vs. Expert Reforms
NEW DELHI, January 14 — The National Board of Examinations (NBEMS) has taken the unprecedented step of lowering the NEET-PG 2025 qualifying percentile to zero for reserved categories. This decision, intended to fill over 18,000 vacant postgraduate medical seats, has sparked a nationwide debate on whether the government is solving a resource crisis or merely bailing out expensive private colleges.
The Situation at a Glance
The Problem: After two rounds of counselling, 18,000+ clinical and non-clinical seats remained vacant.
The Government’s Immediate Solution: Remove the barrier. By dropping the cut-off to zero (and allowing even those with negative marks to qualify), the Ministry aims to widen the pool of candidates to ensure no seat—and the educational infrastructure behind it—goes to waste.
The Backlash: Medical associations like FAIMA warn this compromises patient safety, alleging that "merit has been murdered" to fill seats in private colleges that charge exorbitant fees (₹1Cr+).
The Real Solutions: What Experts Say Is Actually Needed
While the zero percentile move acts as a temporary bandage, experts argue it does not fix the root cause: affordability and quality. To prevent this crisis from recurring, healthcare bodies and the Supreme Court have proposed the following structural solutions:
1. Regulation of Fees (The Core Issue)
The primary reason seats are vacant is not a lack of doctors, but a lack of funds.
Proposed Solution: The National Medical Commission (NMC) must strictly enforce fee caps on private medical colleges.
Why: Currently, "Management Quota" seats can cost upwards of ₹1.5 Crore. Experts argue that unless fees are rationalized to match the earning potential of a young doctor, these seats will remain empty regardless of the cut-off.
2. Stipend Parity (One Nation, One Pay)
Proposed Solution: Enforce "Equal Work, Equal Pay." Private colleges must be legally bound to pay stipends equal to state government colleges.
Current Status: In December 2025, the Health Ministry issued a reminder to the NMC to ensure parity. Currently, government residents earn ₹60k–₹1L/month, while private residents often receive less than ₹20k or nothing at all.
3. Infrastructure & Quality Control
Proposed Solution: Stop granting permissions to new colleges that lack patient load.
FAIMA's Stance: Dr. Rohan Krishnan argues that remote private colleges with "zero facilities" are being allowed to sell seats. The solution is to shut down substandard institutes rather than lowering standards to fill them.
4. Counselling Reforms (Supreme Court Directive)
Proposed Solution: A synchronized counselling calendar to prevent "seat blocking."
The Fix: Often, students hold seats in both state and central counselling until the last moment. A unified system would free up seats earlier, preventing the panic that leads to desperate measures like lowering cut-offs.
Summary of Conflicting "Solutions"
| Perspective | The "Solution" Implemented | The Consequence |
| Government | Lower Cut-off to Zero: Make everyone eligible to ensure seats are filled. | Pros: Maximizes resource utilization. Cons: Allows negative scorers (-40) to become specialists. |
| Doctors (FAIMA/IMA) | Structural Reform: Lower fees, standardize stipends, and improve college quality. | Pros: Attracts merit-based talent naturally. Cons: Displeases powerful private college lobbies. |
The Way Forward
As the third round of counselling begins, the medical fraternity waits to see if the "Zero Percentile" move will successfully fill the vacancies. However, the consensus among residents is clear: until the financial toxicity of private medical education (high fees + low stipends) is solved, the crisis of vacant seats will likely return next year.
