In an exciting development for students aspiring to pursue Homoeopathy as a career, the Ministry of Ayush has announced a 15% reduction in the minimum qualifying percentile for NEET-UG 2024 (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate) for admission to BHMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery) programs. This change will make more students eligible to apply for Homoeopathy courses, broadening access to medical education in the field of alternative medicine.

Alongside this reduction, the final admission deadline for both Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) courses in Homoeopathy has been extended to 20th December 2024, allowing students more time to complete their admissions. Let’s dive into what this change means, how it affects candidates, and the details about the new NEET cutoff for BHMS admissions.

What Has Changed with the NEET Percentile for BHMS?

Previously, students needed to meet a certain minimum percentile in NEET-UG 2024 to qualify for BHMS admissions. These percentiles (15% reduction in BHMS) were set by the Ministry of Ayush, and candidates who scored below the required cutoff were not eligible for admission. The new policy, however, reduces the qualifying percentile by 15 percentage points across all categories.

Here’s what this means in terms of NEET scores:

Old NEET Cutoff Scores for BHMS 2024

• General and EWS Categories: 162
• SC/ST/OBC Categories: 127
• General PWD Category: 45% of the maximum marks

New NEET Cutoff Scores for BHMS 2024 After 15% Reduction

• General and EWS Categories: 111
• SC/ST/OBC Categories: 76
• General PWD Category: Reduced by 15 percentile

This reduction significantly lowers the cutoff scores for candidates in all categories. In the case of General and EWS categories, the qualifying score has dropped from 162 to 111. For SC, ST, and OBC candidates, the score drops from 127 to 76. The adjustment allows many students who had slightly missed the cutoff in the past to now qualify for BHMS programs.

How Will This Benefit Aspiring Students?

The reduction in the minimum qualifying percentile means that more students will now be able to apply for BHMS courses. Those who previously did not meet the cutoff by a narrow margin—perhaps because of exam stress, a challenging paper, or other external factors—can now pursue their dreams of becoming homeopathic doctors.

For example, under the old system, General category candidates needed to score 162 marks to qualify. After the 15% reduction in BHMS, the new cutoff is 111 marks, a decrease of 51 marks. This change increases access to Homoeopathy education for a larger number of aspirants.