New Delhi:
In a significant policy shift, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed doctors holding postgraduate diplomas to be appointed as faculty in medical colleges, reversing the restrictions previously imposed by the now-defunct Medical Council of India (MCI).
New Faculty Eligibility Guidelines Announced
The NMC released the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025 in the official Gazette dated June 30, 2025, laying down clear qualifications for faculty positions in medical institutions.
According to the new rules, diploma holders who were appointed as Senior Residents before June 8, 2017, and have four years of experience in a recognised medical college, are now eligible for the post of Assistant Professor in both broad medical and surgical specialities.
Additionally, diploma holders with six years of cumulative experience as Specialists or Medical Officers in government institutions running NBE-recognised teaching programmes will also qualify.
Background: MCI Restrictions and Their Fallout
Previously, the MCI had barred diploma holders from applying for faculty posts, citing the shorter course duration (2 years vs 3 years for MD/MS). This move significantly hampered the career progression of thousands of qualified diploma doctors despite them undergoing nearly similar training—excluding the thesis component in MD/MS.
While diploma doctors could initially serve as Senior Residents, a 2017 MCI notification ended this provision, creating widespread uncertainty for those already in service.
Parliamentary Recommendations and Course Correction
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health had raised concerns about faculty shortages and called for either upgrading diploma holders or phasing out the diploma courses entirely. It recommended that existing diploma doctors with two years of teaching experience be awarded degrees upon submission of a thesis.
Following this, the MCI stopped approving new diploma seats and instead increased MD/MS seats. However, doctors already holding MCI-recognised diplomas were left without a path for academic advancement.
Final Regulations Build on Draft TEQ 2024
In 2024, NMC’s draft Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) regulations had proposed allowing diploma holders with relevant experience to become Assistant Professors. The final 2025 regulations have now formally adopted these proposals, providing a long-awaited breakthrough for affected doctors.
Medical Community Welcomes the Decision
Dr. Z. A. Golewale of the PG Diploma Doctors Association hailed the move, stating that it addresses the long-standing faculty shortage in medical colleges. He noted that genuine, experienced candidates were often overlooked due to rigid rules, even as colleges struggled to recruit qualified faculty, sometimes resorting to “ghost faculty”.
Call for Further Inclusion of Experienced Doctors
While welcoming the decision, Dr. Golewale urged further reforms, suggesting that diploma holders with 10 and 15 years of experience should be directly considered for Associate Professor and Professor roles, respectively—subject to meeting research publication requirements.
“This will ensure experienced professionals are not sidelined and that quality education is not compromised,” he said.
