New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it has constituted an expert committee headed by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to examine issues arising out of the challenge to the reduction of qualifying cut-off percentiles for the NEET-PG 2025-26 examination.  A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the decision to drastically lower the qualifying cut-off percentiles for postgraduate medical admissions.Appearing for the Union government, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati submitted that the expert committee has been constituted in compliance with the apex court's earlier directions and sought eight weeks' time to complete the exercise and submit its report."We have set up a committee as per your lordships' directions. We will do the exercise and submit a report," ASG Bhati told the apex court.

When the Justice Narasimha-led Bench sought details regarding the composition of the committee, the ASG said that the DGHS would chair the panel, which comprises 11 other members."Your Lordships had directed that an internal audit be done and solutions be found out," she added.Taking on record the office order dated July 23 issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the apex court recorded that it relates to the constitution of an expert committee.Asking how much time would be required for the exercise, the Justice Narasimha-led Bench was informed that the committee would need eight weeks to submit its report.Recording the submission, the Supreme Court directed the committee to invite suggestions from various stakeholders and, after detailed consideration, submit its report within eight weeks.

"The committee will call for suggestions from various stakeholders and, after detailed consideration, submit a report within eight weeks," the top court said, while posting the matter for further hearing after eight weeks.As per the office order issued by the DGHS, the expert committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of DGHS Dr Loveneesh G. Krishna. It also comprises senior officials from the Directorate General of Health Services, the National Board of Examinations (NBE), representatives of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Union Health Ministry and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).The committee has been tasked with formulating a mechanism for conducting a comprehensive audit of the existing admission system through the NEET examination involving various stakeholders, identifying lacunae and gaps in the existing system, and suggesting practical and implementable solutions.

The matter arises out of a PIL challenging the decision to drastically reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26.The plea, filed by advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, contends that the decision to lower qualifying standards to abnormally low, zero or even negative percentiles after declaration of results and completion of two rounds of counselling is arbitrary and unconstitutional, violating Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.According to the petition, permitting candidates with such scores to enter postgraduate medical training compromises patient safety, public health and the integrity of medical education. It further argued that the "rules of the game" cannot be altered after the selection process has commenced.Defending the decision, the Union government has said that the cut-off reduction was taken after detailed deliberations by expert bodies in view of a large number of vacant postgraduate seats and to ensure optimal utilisation of healthcare infrastructure.

In its affidavit, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that nearly 20,000 postgraduate medical seats were likely to remain vacant nationwide, prompting a review of the qualifying cut-off. It added that the decision rendered more than one lakh additional candidates eligible for the third round of counselling without altering inter se merit and pointed out that a similar reduction to zero percentile had also been undertaken in 2023.The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), in a separate affidavit, clarified that it had no role in the decision to reduce the qualifying percentile and said the revised cut-off made 95,913 additional candidates eligible for counselling.

/IANS