Key Highlights:
- IMA pens a letter to Union Health Minister Mandaviya seeking a reduction in NEET-PG 2023 cut-off marks.
- The reduction aims to prevent postgraduate seats from remaining vacant and stop the brain drain of medical talent overseas.
- The proposed cut-off reduction could lead to a more significant intake of postgraduate medical students across India.
Concerns Over Current Cut-Offs
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has expressed concerns over the current cut-off marks for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2023 exam. In its communication to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the IMA emphasized that lowering the cut-off would enable a broader base of aspiring doctors to enrol in postgraduate programmes across the nation’s medical colleges.
Brain Drain and its Implications
A compelling point raised by the IMA was the inadvertent encouragement of medical students traveling abroad to pursue higher education due to restrictive cut-off marks. Such migrations result in the depletion of India’s medical manpower pool, affecting the country’s healthcare infrastructure and expertise.
Recommendations from the IMA
In its recommendation, the IMA specifically asked for the NEET PG 2023 cut-off percentile to be reduced by up to 30%. They believe this revision will ensure that the majority of seats, whether in clinical or non-clinical branches, will be filled.
As of now, the cut-off percentile for NEET-PG 2023 stands at:
- 50 for General/Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates
- 45 for General People with Disabilities (PwD)
- 40 for Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/ Other Backward Classes (OBC), inclusive of PwBD candidates from SC/ST/OBC.
These percentiles are the definitive marks that candidates must surpass to be deemed fit for postgraduate programme admissions.
A Forward Look
While the Union Health Ministry has yet to respond officially, the IMA’s plea underscores the need for policies that not only foster domestic medical talent but also reinforce the strength of the Indian healthcare sector.