India’s healthcare ambitions have never appeared more expansive. The Union Budget 2026 allocates over ₹1.06 lakh crore to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, promising new medical hubs, stronger pharmaceutical manufacturing, and a larger role for India in the global medical tourism market. Yet beneath this narrative of expansion lies a troubling policy contradiction. While infrastructure spending is rising and international ambitions are growing, recent changes to postgraduate medical admission criteria raise difficult questions about whether the country is simultaneously weakening the very academic standards that underpin healthcare quality.
The Union Budget’s emphasis on strengthening healthcare infrastructure reflects the government’s broader effort to position India as a global destination for affordable and advanced medical treatment. Proposals to establish regional medical hubs and expand domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing highlight a policy vision that seeks to integrate healthcare development with economic growth and technological advancement. In principle, such initiatives could significantly enhance India’s healthcare delivery system and expand access to quality medical services.
India has already made considerable progress in expanding its healthcare capacity over the past decade. According to the Medical Treatment Index Report (2020-21), the country is among the leading providers of medical services globally. With nearly 1.2 million registered doctors and a steadily increasing inflow of international patients, India has established itself as an important hub for cost-effective and technologically advanced medical treatment. These developments reflect sustained public investment in healthcare infrastructure and institutional expansion.
However, recent changes in postgraduate medical admission policies have generated significant concern regarding their long-term implications for healthcare quality. The reduction in the NEET-PG cut-off for the 2025–26 academic session represents a substantial shift in regulatory standards. Under the revised criteria issued by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), qualifying percentiles across categories have been sharply lowered, enabling candidates with very low scores to participate in the counselling process.
According to the revised criteria issued by NBEMS, the cut-off for the General/EWS (Unreserved) category has been reduced from the 50th percentile (276 marks) to the 7th percentile (103 marks out of 800). For candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories, the cut-off has dropped from the 40th percentile (235 marks) to the 0th percentile, meaning that a score of –40 marks now qualifies a candidate for counselling. For General-PwBD candidates, the qualifying threshold has been lowered to the 5th percentile, corresponding to approximately 90 marks.
Policies designed to improve access to higher education and address structural inequalities are important in a diverse society like India. However, such reforms must be carefully calibrated in professional disciplines where public safety and technical competence are paramount. Medical education, in particular, requires rigorous academic training, continuous assessment and stringent regulatory oversight. Excessive dilution of admission standards may adversely affect clinical competence, patient safety and the credibility of medical institutions.
Healthcare systems ultimately depend not only on infrastructure and financial resources but also on the quality of their human capital. Hospitals, equipment and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities cannot compensate for inadequately trained medical professionals. The effectiveness of healthcare delivery is intrinsically linked to the standards of education and training received by doctors and healthcare practitioners. International experience consistently demonstrates that sustainable healthcare excellence depends on maintaining transparent, merit-based and performance-oriented regulatory frameworks.
From a public policy perspective, this issue assumes particular significance in India, where a large proportion of the population depends on government hospitals for affordable treatment. The high cost of healthcare in the private sector restricts access for economically vulnerable groups, making public healthcare institutions the primary providers of medical services. Any decline in professional competence within these institutions would disproportionately affect marginalised communities and weaken the broader goal of social equity in healthcare.
Furthermore, India’s aspiration to expand its medical tourism sector requires sustained adherence to globally recognised standards of medical practice. International patients choose healthcare destinations based on quality assurance mechanisms, professional expertise and institutional reliability. Regulatory decisions that appear to compromise academic rigour may therefore undermine India’s credibility in the highly competitive global healthcare market.
A balanced approach that integrates equity, access and excellence is therefore essential. Reservation and inclusion policies remain vital instruments for promoting social justice and widening educational opportunities. However, they must be complemented by strong academic support systems, transparent evaluation mechanisms and continuous professional development programmes. Strengthening preparatory education, mentoring frameworks and institutional accountability can help achieve inclusive growth without compromising professional standards.
Public expenditure on healthcare is ultimately derived from taxpayer contributions and is intended to advance collective welfare. Ensuring the effective utilisation of these resources requires aligning infrastructure expansion with the development of a highly competent medical workforce. Policymakers must therefore prioritise regulatory consistency, evidence-based reforms and comprehensive stakeholder consultation while designing medical education policies.
Healthcare reform cannot be measured solely through budgetary expansion or the construction of new hospitals. Sustainable improvement requires parallel investment in educational quality, regulatory integrity and professional competence. Preserving rigorous academic standards in medical education is essential for safeguarding patient welfare, maintaining public trust and strengthening India’s international reputation as a provider of high-quality healthcare services. Only a comprehensive and balanced policy framework can ensure that healthcare reform delivers both access and excellence.
(Pyali Chatterjee is an associate professor and head of the Faculty of Law, ICFAI University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh)
