How does the NEET qualifying mark affect eligibility for AIIMS and JIPMER?

The NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) qualifying mark is a fundamental requirement for admission to MBBS courses in all medical colleges in India, including prestigious institutions like AIIMS and JIPMER. Here's how it affects eligibility:

Basic Eligibility (Qualifying Percentile/Marks):

1. Mandatory Requirement: To even be considered for admission to any medical college through NEET 2025, a candidate must first clear the minimum qualifying percentile set by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

2. Category-wise Cutoffs: These qualifying percentiles and corresponding marks vary by category:

• General (UR)/EWS: 50th percentile (e.g., 720-164 marks in recent years).
• OBC/SC/ST: 40th percentile (e.g., 163-129 marks).
• General-PwD: 45th percentile.
• OBC/SC/ST-PwD: 40th percentile.

Without meeting this basic qualifying mark, a candidate is not eligible for NEET counseling and thus cannot apply to AIIMS, JIPMER, or any other medical college.

Admission Cutoff (Higher for AIIMS and JIPMER):

• Beyond Qualifying: Simply clearing the NEET qualifying mark is rarely enough to secure a seat in top institutions like AIIMS and JIPMER. These institutions have significantly higher "admission cutoffs" based on NEET scores and All India Ranks (AIRs).
• High Competition: AIIMS and JIPMER are among the most sought-after medical colleges due to their reputation, facilities, and quality of education. This leads to extremely high competition, demanding very high NEET scores and low ranks.
• Expected Scores for AIIMS and JIPMER (for MBBS):

1. AIIMS Delhi: Often requires a rank in the top 100 for the General category, translating to marks often above 700. Other AIIMS institutions also have very high cutoffs.
2. JIPMER Puducherry: Similarly requires very high scores, often in the range of 690+ for Puducherry campus for General category, and slightly lower for JIPMER Karaikal.

Factors Influencing Admission Cutoffs:

• Difficulty of the NEET exam: A tougher exam might lead to slightly lower cutoffs, and vice versa.
• Number of test-takers: More candidates mean higher competition and potentially higher cutoffs.
• Total seats available: The number of MBBS seats in AIIMS and JIPMER is limited.
• Reservation policies: Separate cutoffs and ranks are applicable for different reservation categories (OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD).