New Delhi : In a significant relief for medical college faculty members across India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a clarification ensuring that delays in the Basic Course in Medical Education and Technology (BCMET) will not hinder timely promotions.
Following widespread concerns and representations from medical college faculty about limited slots and lack of clarity in nomination processes for BCMET, the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of NMC has written to all State/UT Health Secretaries and Directors of Medical Education (DME).
“It is clarified that if a faculty member completes the BCMET course after the due date of promotion and submits the completion certificate, then they should be promoted from the due date of promotion,” the PGMEB stated in its communication dated April 12, 2025.
What Prompted the Move?
Faculty members raised concerns about:
- Delayed availability of BCMET slots at designated institutions.
- Lack of transparent criteria (e.g., seniority) for nominations to these slots.
- Resultant delays in promotions for eligible faculty.
These issues were brought to the attention of NMC, prompting the Commission to issue this clarification to ensure fair treatment of faculty members.
Background
The Basic Course in Medical Education Technologies (BCMET) is a mandatory training for promotion to the posts of Associate Professor and Professor. The erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) made it compulsory for all medical colleges to set up Medical Education Units (MEUs) to facilitate such training. Since 2009, courses have been conducted via designated Regional and Nodal Centres.
In a previous 2023 circular, NMC confirmed that various FDPs such as BCME, rBCW, and BCMET are all considered equivalent.
New Guidelines Going Forward
- Faculties can be promoted from their original due dates even if the BCMET is completed later.
- Where appointments to faculty posts are made late, an affidavit must be submitted by the respective State Government’s Principal Secretary, assuring that the concerned faculty will complete BCMET in the next academic year.
- BCMET must be completed before submission of applications for Letters of Permission (LoP) for the academic year 2026–2027.
