NMC Approves Rank-Based System to Replace Percentiles for Medical Admissions
In a landmark policy shift that could fundamentally transform medical postgraduate admissions across India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has granted in-principle approval to replace the longstanding percentile-based evaluation with an absolute rank-based merit system for both NEET-PG and NEET-Super Speciality (SS) counseling. The regulatory overhaul was formally presented to the Supreme Court on Tuesday by a 12-member expert committee constituted to review and streamline the national medical counseling framework. Under the proposed blueprint, scorecards will eliminate percentile representations entirely and instead disclose only individual ranks, establishing an unskewed merit hierarchy for seat allocations across government, private, and deemed medical colleges nationwide.
In-Principle Nod and DGHS Communication: The Plan to Publish Only Merit Ranks
The transition gained formal traction following high-level deliberations during an NMC meeting held on September 23, which culminated in an official communication sent by the NMC Secretary to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) on October 1, 2026. The 12-member expert panel informed the apex court that administrative preparations are actively underway to codify the new regulations, ensuring that future results show unambiguous, transparent national rankings without disclosing percentile percentiles that often obfuscate actual raw performance. Formulated in consultation with senior advocate Maninder Singh, who is assisting the Supreme Court as amicus curiae, the committee’s recommendations aim to restore standardized academic benchmarks, eliminate statistical anomalies in multi-shift sessions, and provide candidates with absolute clarity regarding their precise standing in the national pool during counseling rounds.
Supreme Court Scrutiny: Tackling the Fall-Out of Slashed Cut-Offs and Negative Scores
The push for a rank-based overhaul comes against the backdrop of intense scrutiny in the Supreme Court, which has been adjudicating multiple petitions challenging the central government's controversial decision to drastically slash qualifying cut-offs for NEET PG. Under earlier revised criteria that drew widespread criticism from the medical fraternity, the general category threshold was sharply reduced from 276 marks down to 103, while cut-offs for reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC) plummeted from 235 to an unprecedented minus 40 marks to fill vacant seats. While the NMC's statutory rule-making process remains underway and awaits formal notification, legal and health experts observe that transitioning to an absolute rank-based merit framework will prevent the dilution of clinical standards, resolve seat allocation disputes, and create a resilient, transparent roadmap for postgraduate medical admissions in India.
