Reforming Medical Education in India: Beyond Marks as the Sole Determinant of Postgraduate Seat Allocation

This editorial examines the growing concerns surrounding postgraduate (PG) seat allocation in India amid recent regulatory reforms and the rapid expansion of training capacity. Drawing on policy developments between 2023 and 2025, including centralised online counselling and significant increases in PG seats, it analyses the continued reliance on a single high-stakes entrance examination as the primary determinant of specialist training opportunities. The recent lowering of qualifying percentiles to fill vacant seats has intensified debate regarding academic standards, merit, and workforce preparedness. This discussion highlights the tension between quantitative expansion and qualitative assurance in medical education. The editorial contributes to the national discourse by underscoring the misalignment between competency-based undergraduate reforms and marks-driven postgraduate selection, and advocates for a structured, multi-dimensional assessment framework that better reflects clinical competence, professionalism, and healthcare system needs.