NMC Guidelines for PwD MBBS Aspirants to be Released by April: Report

New Delhi: Submitting a progress report on the regulations under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (Amendment), 2019 on March 3, 2025, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has informed the Apex Court that the Commission has engaged in discussions around various concept related to the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the medical profession, Education Times has reported.

As per the Daily, these discussions held by NMC focused on balancing the competencies required for medical practice with accommodations required for individuals with disabilities.

Reportedly, the Commission deliberating on concepts such as functional competence against the percentage of disability, suitability of MBBS for those aspirants having disabilities etc.

Also Read: NMC to soon Release MBBS Admission Guidelines for PwD Students, ask Colleges to Set up Enabling Units

Commenting on the matter, Dr. Satendra Singh, Founder, Doctor with Disability: Agents of Change and also the Director-Professor of Physiology, UCMS and GTB Hospital, Delhi told Education Times, "The NMC is deliberating on key concepts such as functional competence versus disability percentage, the suitability of MBBS for students with disabilities, task allocation based on disability, and the implementation of reasonable accommodations, with a focus on ensuring justice and fairness in the process."

"The NMC has informed the court that they have formed a committee, including doctors with disabilities and held its first meeting on February 25. The second meeting is scheduled for March 10, with plans to finalise the guidelines by April," he added.

However, as per the Education Times report, the Commission appears less convinced about empanelling activist Dr. Satendra Singh. The Commission has informed the Court that it has already selected doctors with disabilities from a list of 10 members who were previously suggested by Justice Vishwananthan in his judgment. Recently, Justice Gavai asked NMC to include Dr. Satendra Singh on the committee.

The matter has been listed for further hearing four weeks from March 3, 2025.

Recently, the Secretary of the National Medical Commission, Dr. B Srinivas informed that the proposed guidelines for admission of disabled candidates to the MBBS course were being drafted by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of NMC and would be released shortly.

He had further informed that these guidelines would be released before the commencement of the counselling for the next academic session. Besides, he had informed about the Commission's plans to issue directions to the medical colleges asking them to establish Enabling Units on the medical college campuses.

Medical Dialogues has earlier reported that last year the Supreme Court in an order dated 25.10.2024 had stressed the importance of creating an inclusive atmosphere for persons with disabilities seeking to pursue medical education, noting it to be a "vital component of quality healthcare".

Recently, the Apex Court bench slammed the NMC stating that the requirement under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (Amendment), 2019 stating that MBBS candidates must have "both hands intact", "reeks of ableism".

Opining that the criteria required to be revised, the top court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan had observed, "In our view, this prescription of “both hands intact…” is completely antithetical to Article 41 of the Constitution; the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the salutary provisions of the RPwD Act. It also indicates a classification which is overbroad and glorifies ‘ableism’. It propagates that persons with typical abilities and with faculties similar to what the majority may have or somehow superior. This is precisely what the Directive Principles of State Policy, the United Nations Convention and the RPwD Act abhor."

"A prescription such as “both hands intact…” reeks of ableism and has no place in a statutory regulation. In fact, it has the effect of denuding the rights guaranteed under the Constitution and the RPwD Act and makes a mockery of the principle of reasonable accommodation," the bench further observed.

The Court had asked NMC to submit a progress report by March 3. Observing that after the order in the case of Omkar Ramchandra Gond (supra), the NMC had assured the Court about setting up a new committee of domain of experts to comply with the judgment, the Court specified that the committee should include persons with disability or one or more experts conversant with the disability rights.

Accordingly, the bench had listed the matter for further hearing on 03.03.2025 to consider whether the National Medical Commission (NMC) has formulated the revised guidelines in accordance with the judgments of the Court, as directed in Omkar Ramchandra Gond (supra) and Om Rathod (supra) and further directed that the NMC shall file an affidavit explaining the current status before the said hearing date.

Also Read: Supreme Court slams NMC, says 'both hands intact' not required for becoming a doctor