NMC allows senior residency upto Age 50 in 8 depts, details
New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has specified that the upper age limit for appointment to the posts of Senior Residents in broad specialties shall be forty-five years. Besides, this age limit shall be fifty years in the Departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, and Community Medicine.
Releasing the final Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, in the official Gazette dated June 30, 2025, NMC laid down the eligibility qualifications of medical teachers at medical institutes.
Regarding Senior Residents, NMC discussed about the required qualifications to be appointed for the post, upper age-limit for appointment as Senior Residents, tenure of Senior Residency, and appointment of senior residents to the posts of Assistant Professors.
Also Read: Relief: Age limit of Senior Residency increased in the new NMC TEQ rules
Required Qualifications for Senior Residency:
NMC mentioned that any person undergoing residency in a relevant department of a recognised medical institution after obtaining the following qualifications can be appointed as Senior Residents in the medical colleges:
(a) postgraduate degree in Doctor of Medicine or Master of Surgery or Diplomate of National Board; or
(b) postgraduate medical degree in Master of Science with Doctor of Philosophy in the medical subjects of Anatomy or Biochemistry or Physiology or Pharmacology or Microbiology, shall be eligible for appointment as a Senior Resident.
Upper Age-Limit for Senior Residents:
NMC mentioned that the upper age-limit for appointment as Senior Resident in broad specialties shall be forty-five years- provided that for the subjects of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, and Community Medicine, the upper age-limit shall be fifty years.
Tenure of Senior Residency:
NMC mentioned in the regulations that the post of Senior Resident shall be for a maximum period of three years.
NMC further mentioned that "Any person pursuing postgraduate super specialty courses shall also be designated as Senior Resident."
"The experience gained by a Senior Resident having a postgraduate degree and working in a super specialty department offering super specialty teaching shall be valid for appointment as Assistant Professor, provided that such Senior Resident's broad specialty qualification is a feeder qualification for the relevant super specialty," the Commission added in the new regulations.
Earlier, the upper age-limit for the post of senior residents was 40 years. After pleas were filed before High Court and objections raised by the doctors, the Apex Medical Commission raised the upper age-limit to 45 years.
The Journey to an increased Age limit of SR-ship:
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in 2017, the erstwhile Medical Council of India had amended the Teachers eligibility Qualifications Rules (TEQ), prescribing the maximum age limit as 40 for posting as a senior resident.
Medical Fraternity had also shown strong objection to this clause that set up a new maximum age limit of 40 years, for those who wish to join Senior Resident-ship, a necessary entry point to medical academics. Doctors pointed out that on the face of acute shortage of medical faculties, while the government was increasing the retirement age of teachers and increasing the student: faculty ratio in medical colleges to add more seats, on the other hand, it was limiting many medical practitioners beyond 40 years, from joining medical academia.
In 2018, Various doctors filed a petition (PIL) in the Madras High Court against a clause of the Medical Council of India which prescribes 40 as the maximum age limit for appointment to the post of senior resident or assistant professor in medical colleges. Doctors in their petition asked the court to declare the MCI legislation "unconstitutional, ultra vires, discriminatory and illegal"
The matter was then referred by the state HC and the government to the Medical Council of Indian Board of Governors and was brought up in the BOG meeting that was held in April 2019. The MCI BOG decided to accept the Tamil Nadu govt request and raise the age limit of SR ship to 45 years.
During a meeting held by the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of NMC back in 2023, the Apex Medical Commission had decided to do away with the age limit of 45 years prescribed for the initial appointment of Senior Residents, under the Teachers Eligibility Qualifications in Medical Institutions Regulations, 2022.
Also Read: NMC to abolish Age limit of 45 years prescribed for Senior Residents
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