Delhi HC directs NMC to reconsider, include MD Geriatric Medicine as feeder qualification for DM courses
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to reconsider and include MD Geriatric Medicine as an eligible feeder qualification for admission to DM courses.
The bench was hearing the petition filed by doctors holding the MD Geriatric Medicine qualification, who challenged the exclusion of their degree as a feeder qualification for admission to DM super-speciality courses via the NEET SS and INI SS examinations.
The issue dates back to 2018, when the then President and General Secretary of the Resident Doctors’ Association, (RDA) AIIMS, wrote a letter to the erstwhile Medical Council of India (now NMC) highlighting the omission of MD (Geriatric Medicine) from the list of Broad Specialities eligible for DM specialisations, which adversely affected the prospects of candidates holding the said qualification to pursue DM specialisations. A similar letter was also written by Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association India (FORDA) to the apex medical body, requesting that the said MD qualification be included as an eligibility criterion for admission to DM courses.
Again, in the year 2023, doctors approached AIIMS seeking clarification; however, it was alleged that the response received was unsatisfactory. RTIs were filed with the NMC, but allegedly after receiving no response, the doctors eventually approached the High Court.
The counsel appearing for AIIMS informed the court that the matter was brought before the Dean Committee meeting held on 12.09.2019, but the members were of the view that Geriatric Medicine is the new speciality and is in the developing stage.
" At present, sufficient manpower with MD Geriatric Medicine is not available. Sufficient time should be given for the speciality to mature and establish itself. Before any final decision is made, it was decided to seek comments from the departments running DM specialities," the committee minutes noted
Similar views were also expressed in the present case of the petitioner, where AIIMS had called for comments from various heads of departments, who opined that it would be impermissible to allow individuals with MD (Geriatric Medicine) to apply for DM Endocrinology.
Meanwhile, arguments put forth by the counsel for NMC also mentioned that the physical infrastructure, teaching staff, clinical material and hospitals were insufficient for MD (Geriatric Medicine) to be a feeder qualification for DM Super Speciality Courses.
"All the comments of the heads of the department seem to suggest that Geriatric Medicine is not developed well enough to cater to the population they are supposed to look after, i.e., patients above the age of 60 years," the bench noted
It observed that the shortage of Geriatric Medicine specialists could not be a ground to deny doctors holding MD (Geriatric Medicine) the opportunity to pursue DM Super Specialty courses.
The Court also noted that the documents relied upon by AIIMS were from the year 2019, and that more than seven years had elapsed since the said materials were prepared.
In its conclusion, the Delhi High Court directed NMC to reconsider the criteria and include MD (Geriatric Medicine) as eligible for DM specialisations.
If the concerned authorities are of the view that the number of doctors practicing Geriatric Medicine is inadequate to cater to the population requiring such specialized care, it is for the authorities to take appropriate measures to increase the number of seats and doctors in the field of Geriatric Medicine. The inadequacy in the number of doctors in the field cannot, however, be a ground to deny doctors holding an MD in Geriatric Medicine the opportunity to pursue DM Super Specialty Courses and thereby advance their professional and career prospects.
Additionally, all these documents relied upon by the respondent No. 2/AIIMS are of the year 2019 and more than 7 years have elapsed since then.... For the said reasons, the respondent No. 1 is directed to have a re-look and to include MD (Geriatric Medicine) as eligible for DM specializations.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Kartik Mittal, a petitioner in the case, stated, "MD Geriatric Medicine currently has approximately 80 seats per year across MD and DNB programmes, with the number of seats gradually increasing as more institutions introduce and expand the speciality. The exclusion from DM Super Speciality pathways had limited opportunities for further academic growth and advanced training for doctors pursuing this field. With this direction, doctors trained in Geriatric Medicine will be able to contribute more effectively through specialised care, research, and management of complex health issues affecting the elderly population. We will be sharing the judgment with authorities, including AIIMS and NMC, for their consideration and necessary next steps.”
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To view the order, Click here: https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/2026/08/22/eligibility-case-order--366461.pdf
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