The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Central government to respond to a public interest petition challenging its decision to reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for the NEET-PG examination.

The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe.

In the saidc matter, the petition challenges a notice issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), under which the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025–26 were sharply reduced, in some categories even to zero and negative marks.

As per the plea, this move allows candidates with no proven merit to qualify for postgraduate medical admissions. While the authorities have justified the decision as a way to fill vacant seats, the petition argues that it destroys the principle of merit and turns a competitive examination into a mere administrative formality.

The plea further submits that lowering minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education is arbitrary and unconstitutional, and violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. It states that the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 does not provide any power to dilute minimum professional eligibility standards for entry into such a highly skilled and sensitive profession.

The petitioners argue that the decision effectively eliminates merit at the highest level of medical education, promotes sub-standard competence, and poses a serious risk to patient safety and public health. Emphasising that medicine is a life-critical profession, the plea warns that allowing candidates with zero or negative scores into specialist training endangers patients and infringes the right to life under Article 21.

The plea seeks the quashing of the NBEMS notification and the restoration of constitutionally valid minimum qualifying standards. The petitioners are represented by Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur, along with Advocates Satyam Singh Rajput and Adarsh Singh, and Advocate-on-Record Neema.

The matter is llisted for further hearing on February 6, 2026.