# NEET PG 2026: 258 students score zero or negative marks 2026-10-05T22:06:30+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The NEET-PG 2026 results, released on 24 September, saw 2,63,535 candidates qualify. However, 258 candidates who took the exam scored zero or negative marks, with the lowest rank (0 percentile) scoring -59. The debate over allowing zero-percentile candidates into postgraduate medical courses has resurfaced. In 2023, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) first reduced the qualifying percentile to zero after Covid-19, sparking opposition from the United Doctors Front Association (UDFA), which filed a PIL in the Supreme Court arguing that admitting low-scoring candidates compromises public health and specialist doctor quality. An academic expert, Kunal Singh, called the move a formula to sell seats, not fill them, citing paid seats in government colleges. NBEMS has defended the decision, citing over 18,000 vacant postgraduate medical seats nationwide. The Delhi High Court in January 2026 declined to intervene, calling public health risk arguments unfounded. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The 258 candidates with zero or negative scores highlight a persistent tension between filling vacant seats and maintaining academic standards. NBEMS prioritises filling over 18,000 empty postgraduate seats, while bodies like UDFA argue that low-scoring doctors in high-risk specialities harm patients. The Delhi High Court has already backed NBEMS, but the debate leaves the quality of future specialists unresolved. The next counselling rounds for NEET PG 2026 will test whether zero-percentile candidates actually secure seats. ## Coverage - bhaskar.com Presents both sides of the debate without endorsing either This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Delhi High Court, NBEMS, NEET PG, NMC, Supreme Court, UDFA Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/neet-pg-2026-258-students-score-zero-or-negative-marks/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/neet-pg-2026-258-students-score-zero-or-negative-marks/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/