The Indian Medical Association welcomed the National Medical Commission's in-principle approval to shift from a percentile-based system to a rank-based merit system for NEET-PG and NEET-SS.
The doctors' body cautioned that the reform should not be used to lower qualifying standards or fill vacant seats at the expense of patient safety and competence.
The association urged authorities to address root causes of vacant seats, such as high fees, infrastructure deficits, and stipend disparities, through stakeholder consultation.