The Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) has strongly opposed the decision to reduce the NEET-PG 2025-26 cut-off percentile to zero. The association says this move risks the quality of medical education and patient safety. In a letter to Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, T-SRDA raised concerns over a January 13 notification by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). This notification allows candidates with scores as low as minus 40 marks to qualify for postgraduate medical admissions. The association said, "The unprecedented reduction in cut-off undermines the credibility and purpose of the test. Allowing candidates with negative marks to qualify for postgraduate training cannot be justified under any academic or ethical standards and risks diluting the quality of future specialists." T-SRDA also warned that this decision might make merit-based national competitive exams irrelevant, with admissions given without regard to rank or eligibility. The doctors' group urged the Union government to immediately withdraw the notification and return to a merit-based cut-off. They warned that if the government does not act quickly, they will consult resident doctors and medical associations nationwide to start protests. The letter was made public on January 14, 2026, at 11:19 pm IST.