IIT Kharagpur seeks NMC approval for MD course, plans 20 seats
Kharagpur: IIT Kharagpur is set to enter medical education by applying to the National Medical Commission (NMC) for approval to launch a postgraduate MD programme with an initial intake of 20 seats. If cleared, it will become the first IIT to offer a postgraduate medical course.
The institute has already recruited around 20 doctors for teaching and plans to begin the programme in the current academic year, subject to NMC approval. Academic training will be conducted at a medical college within the campus named after Dr BC Roy, while clinical exposure will be provided at the institute’s hospital in Balrampur.
An NMC inspection team is expected to assess the infrastructure before granting permission. Meanwhile, IIT Kharagpur has put its MBBS plans on hold due to infrastructure constraints.
According to a recent report by The Telegraph, on Thursday, the Director of IIT Kharagpur has informed that the institute has decided to submit an application to the NMC by March 31, to launch a postgraduate MD (Doctor of Medicine) program soon. This will be the first IIT Institute to launch a postgraduate medical program.
IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty stated that the institute will apply for NMC approval by March 31. The postgraduate program will commence with 20 seats. The proposal was presented to the institute's Board of Governors on September 23, 2025, for approval.
Responding to this, Chakraborty informed TelegraphIndia, "We will be the first IIT to launch a postgraduate medical program. We have already recruited 20 skilled doctors. They will teach the students who enrol in the MD program”.
“To start a medical programme, an institute must have a medical college supported by a hospital. We have both. If the council permits us, IIT will start the programme from this academic year. We are ready,” the director further said.
“We are focusing on technology-empowered postgraduate medical education. We plan to make some changes to the MD curriculum by exercising our autonomy. We will start some dual degree programmes, like in engineering,” Chakraborty said.
“A new class of technology-empowered medical education and research programme will emerge out of it. With the basic MD programme in mind, we want to bring certain technology-empowered elements to it,” the IIT director said.
Asked about the MBBS programme, the present director told The Telegraph: “When an MD programme is run in an institution for some years, it is quite logical to introduce an MBBS programme there as well”.
“It will take us time to take up the MBBS programme,” the official said.
Meanwhile, an institute official stated that the students would be taught at a medical college named after Dr BC Roy. He was the first Chief Minister of Bengal, who donated the land to establish the country's first IIT. This medical college is located within the IIT Kharagpur campus. They will receive practical training at a hospital developed by the IIT in Balrampur, located on the outskirts of the campus. Students will be screened through the National Entrance and Eligibility Test (NEET).
Moreover, an NMC team may visit the campus to assess the infrastructure before approving.
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