The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is yet to release the official schedule for NEET PG 2025 Round-3 counselling following the recent cutoff reduction by NBEMS. Eligible medical graduates are currently monitoring the portal for registration updates while the NRI conversion window remains active until January 17.This delay in the national-level All India Quota schedule continues to impact the academic timeline for postgraduate medical admissions across the country.

While the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) had initially tentatively slated this phase for late December, the timeline was deferred following an extension of the Round-2 reporting period and a subsequent revision of the qualifying criteria. The recent decision by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to reduce the cutoff to the 0th percentile has significantly increased the pool of eligible candidates, necessitating a revised registration window for the upcoming round.

Impact of Cutoff Reduction and New Eligibility

The primary reason for the current pause in the schedule is the historic reduction in the qualifying cutoff scores. On January 13, 2026, the health ministry approved a recommendation to lower the qualifying percentile across all categories to ensure that a greater number of postgraduate seats are filled.

• Revised Cutoff: The qualifying percentile has been reduced to 0 for General, SC, ST, OBC, and PwD categories.
• New Aspirants: Thousands of candidates who were previously ineligible are now tracking the portal to participate in the Round-3 fresh registration process.
• Seat Matrix Update: The National Medical Commission (NMC) is expected to provide an updated seat matrix, incorporating any newly sanctioned or vacant seats before the choice-filling phase begins.
• State Impact: The delay at the national level has caused several state authorities, including Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, to also put their Round-3 state-quota schedules on hold.

NRI Conversion and Pre-Counselling Formalities

While the main schedule remains pending, the MCC has opened a specific window for candidates seeking to change their nationality status. This is a mandatory step for those who wish to be considered for NRI quota seats during the Round-3 allotment.

• Email Protocol: Candidates must send their conversion requests along with supporting documents (Sponsorship letter, Passport copy, etc.) to nri.admn.mcc@gmail.com.
• Resignation Policy: Today, January 15, is the final day for candidates joined in Round-1 or Round-2 to resign their seats with the forfeiture of the security deposit.
• Document Readiness: Aspirants are being advised to keep their internship completion certificates and permanent registration documents ready for the fast-approaching verification phase.

Administrative Delays and Hospital Concerns

The continued delay in finalizing the 2025-26 academic batch has led to growing concern among resident doctors and hospital administrations. Medical bodies like FORDA and FAIMA have noted that the absence of a clear schedule is causing an "operational vacuum" in various clinical departments that depend on the incoming batch of junior residents.

• NMC Seat Verification: The NMC is reportedly finalizing the data for seats that were either withdrawn or added in the last 48 hours to prevent technical errors during seat processing.
• Supreme Court Context: Previous delays were attributed to ongoing hearings regarding exam transparency, though the current pause is purely administrative and related to the revised cutoff implementation.
• Anticipated Launch: Experts believe that the registration link for Round-3 will most likely go live by January 19 or 20, once the NRI conversion window closes.

Conclusion

The arrival of the third week of January marks a pivotal moment for NEET PG 2025 aspirants who are still looking for a placement. With the NRI conversion process currently underway and the cutoff having been lowered to zero, the MCC is under pressure to release the revised schedule immediately. Candidates are urged to maintain their documents and regularly check the official website for the final notification, as the window between registration and choice filling is expected to be shorter than in previous rounds.