Mumbai: Parents express concern over high MBBS cut-offs for academic year 2024-25

Concerned over the high cutoffs for MBBS parents of medical aspirants are pointing fingers at the unprecedented NEETUG results that has churned out multiple toppers and numerous students with similar high scoresThe parents contend that these trends are pushing cutoffs for medical undergraduate courses to unprecedented levels this year This year the MBBS cutoff for government colleges in the state for open category has soared to 642 in the first merit list issued by the states CET cell recently This marks a significant increase from last yearrsquos cutoff of 587 despite the late addition of eight colleges to the seat matrix in the second roundIf these colleges had been included in the initial list the cutoff could have been even lower than 587 lamented a student who was seeking a seat in a Government college Similarly in private colleges the cutoff for open category seats in the first round this year was 602 a notable jump from 534 in the 202324 academic yearThe high cutoff in institutional quota IQ has shocked many parents Fees for IQ seats are four or five times the amount fixed for general seats showing the desperation of students even with higher scores this year Admissions are based on NEETUG scores In 2022 the cutoff for government seats was 564 and for private 505 in the open categoryMany parents are now alleging that the NEETUG exam results were flawed calling it a scam that remains unresolved with the soaring cutoffs being a direct consequence their children now faceUntil last year a student with a score of 570575 would have easily secured a seat in a government college However this year the inflated NEETUG scores and a reduction in the number of open category seats have significantly pushed up the cutoffs Even students with higher scores are now being forced to consider their IQ which could result in them paying four to five times the regular fees Those with scores above 600 may even have to repeat the exam next year as they might not be able to afford the fees of deemed or private institutes said Sudha Shenoy a parent representativeShenoy further stated Addressing the tip of the iceberg in the NEETUG results isnrsquot enough the larger issues within the NEETUG exams remain unresolved The exam wasnt easy yet we see an unusually high number of students achieving similar top scoresAnother parent remarked The high cutoff is a direct consequence of the malpractices that occurred during the NEETUG exams The impact is so significant that it continues to haunt our children in the form of these elevated cutoffsAn official from the medical education department also attributed the high cutoffs this year to students achieving higher scores in NEETUG The official said There are also a greater number of students with identical scores As a result we have seen higher cutoffs this year even for reserved categories compared to previous yearsThe NEET UG 2024 results garnered significant attention this year due to an unusually high number of top scorers allegations of a paper leak and other claims of malpractice leading to nationwide protests and legal battles A recordbreaking 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720720 while over 1500 students were awarded compensatory marks for time lost during the exam Additionally grace marks were given for a disputed physics question Although the Supreme Court ordered a reexamination for students affected by the lost time it ruled that the paper leak was not systemic or widespreadIn response a group of medical students has filed a review petition this week challenging the Supreme Courtrsquos earlier judgment The petitioners had sought the cancellation of the NEET UG 2024 examination due to alleged systemic malpractices and requested a retest of the medical entrance exam but their initial writ petition was dismissed by the apex court642Cutoff for open category in govt colleges