Student association demand a reduction in cut-off for PG

IMA's Junior Doctors Network urges Health Minister Nadda to lower NEET-PG 2024 cut-off due to 15,000-16,000 vacant seats post-counseling.

Mumbai: The Indian Medical Association’s Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) wrote to union health minister JP Nadda on Sunday, urging a reduction in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 cut-off.

Student association demand a reduction in cut-off for PG

This demand is coming after the second round of the NEET-PG counselling concluded. As per data by National Medical Commission (NMC), after round 2 counselling, 31,490 candidates were declared qualified for admission and around 15,000-16,000 seats remain vacant. Out of this, 1,500 seats are from Maharashtra.

The letter said, “Despite the extensive efforts by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and other authorities, a significant number of PG seats remain unfilled across the country.” It said that these vacancies translate into an underutilisation of valuable resources in the country’s healthcare education system and hinder the development of a robust medical workforce. The letter also stated that reducing the cut-off marks will ensure eligible and competent candidates to get a seat, which will thereby strengthen the country’s healthcare system. “Reduction in cut-off marks will provide another chance to candidate fostering talent development. Also, this will address the disparity between the growing demand for specialised healthcare services and the availability of qualified professionals,” stated the letter

In NEET PG’s second round, 31,490 candidates were declared as qualified for admission. Last year, in a major relief to PG medical aspirants, the union health ministry directed the NMC to reduce cut-off for qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2023 to zero across all categories.