Education

NMC Proposes Rank‑Only System and Digital Counselling for 2027 NEET‑PG

By Sanjay Maurya, Ridhima Gupta

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has outlined reforms that could overhaul postgraduate medical admissions in India from the 2027 counselling cycle. The changes, drafted by a 12‑member expert committee set up by the Union health ministry on 23 July, aim to replace the current percentile‑based qualifying system for NEET‑PG and NEET‑SS with a rank‑only system. Under the present scheme, candidates must achieve a minimum percentile to be eligible; the commission can lower this threshold to fill vacant seats. In January 2026, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) lowered the percentile for reserved‑category candidates to zero and for general and economically weaker sections to the seventh percentile, after about 9,000 seats remained vacant. The Supreme Court has challenged this move, arguing it could dilute minimum standards.

The proposed rank‑only model would eliminate declared percentiles entirely, with counselling conducted solely on candidates’ ranks. The NMC has said it is preparing new regulations, but these are not yet finalised or formally notified. A senior NMC official confirmed that the commission will await the Supreme Court’s final directions before proceeding.

Other reforms include greater digitisation of counselling. The committee identified manual processes and coordination gaps among the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), NMC, colleges and state authorities as causes of delays. It recommends that NMC provide an updated seat matrix to MCC before counselling, share examination results online with state authorities, and develop standard operating procedures and a project charter to record stakeholder responsibilities. MCC is also asked to produce summary reports after each counselling exercise.

The committee has already introduced some digital measures in the 2026‑27 cycle, such as online release of seat upgrades, a query‑resolution mechanism, informational videos and an online dashboard.

To address vacancies in pre‑clinical and para‑clinical disciplines, the committee suggests state fee‑fixation committees lower fees for non‑clinical courses and consider exemptions from compulsory service bonds. It also recommends reviewing stipend disparities, offering rural incentives, and adjusting compulsory service bond terms.

The reforms aim to reduce vacant postgraduate seats and shorten counselling delays, thereby allowing academic sessions to start on time. Implementation will depend on final NMC regulations, Supreme Court directions and stakeholder consultations.

The proposals are part of the expert committee’s report, which the Centre submitted to the court in an affidavit on Tuesday. The report was headed by DGHS Director General Dr. Loveneesh G. Krishna and includes representatives from NMC, NBEMS, MCC and other bodies.