Government Lowers PG Counselling Eligibility to Fill Vacant Seats

In a recent announcement, the government has lowered the qualifying eligibility for PG counselling for 2025. This decision aims to ensure that valuable postgraduate medical seats do not remain unfilled, as highlighted by Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel.

Patel addressed the Rajya Sabha, stating that the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducts counselling based on guidelines set by the Supreme Court of India. The NEET PG counselling covers 50% of all India quota seats and all seats in central and deemed universities across the nation.

Following the completion of the second round of counselling, it was noted that out of 29,476 seats offered, 9,621 remained vacant. Furthermore, approximately 20,000 seats, including those for the Diplomate of National Board, were unoccupied after two rounds of counselling.

To address this issue, the government has revised the qualifying percentiles. For the unreserved category, the eligibility is now set at above the 7th percentile, while the threshold for the UR-Persons with Disability category has been reduced to above the 5th percentile. All candidates in the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Classes categories are now considered qualified.

The fee structure for medical courses varies significantly across states, determined by respective fee regulatory authorities. Government medical colleges typically offer subsidized fees to enhance accessibility for students.

Additionally, the National Medical Commission has issued guidelines regarding fees for 50% of seats in private medical institutions, although these guidelines are currently under judicial review.