Revised NEET-PG Percentiles to Fill Vacant Medical Seats

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has revised the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 to address vacant postgraduate medical seats. Over 18,000 seats remained unfilled after Round-2 counselling. The revision aims to optimize seat usage and bolster India's medical specialist pool without diluting academic standards.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has taken a vital step to tackle the issue of unfilled postgraduate medical seats by revising the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025. This decision follows the completion of Round-2 counselling, which left more than 18,000 PG seats vacant in both government and private medical colleges, as per sources speaking to ANI.

Authorities say that this revision seeks to ensure the best use of available seats, crucial for expanding India's cadre of trained medical specialists. Vacant seats represent a loss in educational resources and hinder national healthcare improvement efforts. NEET-PG candidates, all MBBS-qualified doctors, use this exam for a merit-based ranking system ensuring fairness in seat allocation through centralised counselling.

The revised percentiles aim to widen eligibility without lowering academic standards, making the process more transparent. In a response to a request from the Indian Medical Association on January 12, 2026, the decision was made on January 13, 2026, to prevent seat wastage and enhance healthcare services. The IMA thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister J.P. Nadda for their leadership in strengthening the nation's healthcare system.