Conversion of PG Diploma to PG Medical Degree seats 2020-21: Union Health Ministry invites applications

New Delhi: Unable to complete its task of converting the PG Diploma seats into PG medical degree seats last year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has once again invited applications from concerned medical colleges to seek equal number of PG (MD/MS) seats by surrendering recognized diploma seats in corresponding courses.

The confirmation to this effect by a recent notice issued by MOHFW

In reference to Medical Council of India's Amendment Notification No.MCI-18(1)/2018-Med./122294 dated 12th July 2018 (copy enclosed) enabling medical colleges to seek equal number of PG (MD/MS) seats by surrendering recognized diploma seats in corresponding courses, it has been decided by the Ministry that as per the above mentioned Notification, applications from medical colleges for increasing PG degree seats for the academic year 2020-21, which are received upto 31st October, 2019 by post or submitted by hand in the Ministry, will be accepted and shall be further processed.

With the last year's fiasco with many medical colleges missing to apply or submitting late applications, the Ministry in its notice repeatedly clarified that only those applications which are received upto 31st October 2019 by post or submitted by hand in the Ministry, will be accepted and shall be further processed.

 All medical colleges willing to increase PG degree seats by surrendering recognized diploma seats shall submit an application, along with an  undertaking of stopping admission in the concerned diploma courses from the academic year 2020-21, to the Ministry by 31st October, 2019. Applications received after the date of 31.10.2019 will not be entertained and shall be returned to the concerned institute.

The willing medical institutes are also requested to enclose with their application, copy of relevant Notification(s) issued in the past by the Ministry associated with recognition of the concerned diploma course(s), to facilitate expeditious processing of the application for forwarding the same to the Board of Governors-Medical Council of India for taking further action, the notice further added

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that following a gazette notifications in 2018, Ministry of health had last year also invited applcations for conversion. The gazette stated

"A Medical College/Medical Institution shall be entitled to seek equal number of postgraduate degree (MD/MS) seats by surrendering recognised Diploma seats in corresponding course. For such purposes the applicant Medical College/Medical Institution shall make an application to the Central Government along with an undertaking for stopping admission. The Central Government shall on receipt of such application issue a notification omitting the name of Diploma in respect of the said Medical College/Medical Institution. The Central Government shall forward the application alongwith omission notification and undertaking to the Council for recommendation. The Council after verifying the documents shall make an appropriate recommendation to the Central Government without any physical verification in normal circumstances.

However, Council may, if so require carry out physical verification assessment before making any recommendation to the Central Government. Such recommendation shall be for inclusion of degree course against the increased intake in the First Schedule of IMC Act, 1956. The decision by the Central Government in this regard shall be taken on or before the last date of grant of permission in respect of broad speciality courses for that academic year. Further, the surrendered Diploma seats shall not be included in the seat matrix of the subsequent academic years."

Read Also: MCI BOG approve conversion of 2120 PG Diploma seats to Degree, Maximum seats with Karnataka

Meanwhile, stating that they are being made to pursue a course that is outdated and has been scrapped by the Medical Council of India, the ongoing PG Diploma Students across government and private medical colleges in the country are now demanding justice from the authorities asking them to convert their courses to 3 year medical PG ones (MD/MS courses)

Read Also: 4500 Ongoing PG Diploma Students Demand Conversion from MCI, Health Ministry