NMC has no record of 220-bed teaching hospitals: RTI
Doctor
New Delhi: Although though the National Medical Commission's newly notified Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations 2025, recognised Non-teaching government hospitals with 220+ beds as teaching institutes, the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the Commission does not have any data available regarding the number of such institutes, the Commission revealed in response to a recent Right to Information (RTI).
The RTI was filed by Dr. Meet Ghonia, the National General Secretary of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA). In the application, he pointed out that as per the said regulations, Non-Teaching Government Hospitals with 220 or more beds can now be designated as Teaching hospitals.
Therefore, Dr. Ghonia asked for a list of Non-Teaching Government Hospitals with 220 or more beds across India that have been designated as Teaching Institutions as per NMC records, and the date of designation and relevant order or notification reference for each institution.
In response, NMC said, "No such data is available with CPIO, PGMEB."
Responding to this, Dr. Ghonia wrote in an X post, "It’s astonishing that @NMC_BHARAT notified new regulations in July 2025 regarding “Non-Teaching Government Hospitals with 220+ beds” being designated as Teaching Institutions — yet the NMC itself has no record of such hospitals. I filed an RTI on behalf of @FordaIndia seeking the official list of these designated institutions. The response from the Central Public Information Officer, PGME Board, NMC was simply: “No such data available.” This is the height of administrative irresponsibility. How can a national regulatory body formulate and notify regulations without maintaining even the basic underlying data? A regulation that affects medical education, training capacity, and future specialist seats cannot be left to guesswork. Announcing rules without maintaining records is not governance — it is negligence. For a body responsible for shaping the future of medical education in India, this is unacceptable and deeply concerning. If NMC does not know its own data, who will?"
Earlier, only a 330-bedded government hospital could be considered as a teaching hospital under the Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) Regulations, 2022.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NMC published the final Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, in the official Gazette on June 30, 2025. These regulations laid down the eligibility qualifications for medical teachers at medical institutes.
As per the new regulations, Government hospitals having a capacity of more than 220 beds can now be treated as teaching hospitals. The Commission mentioned that a non-teaching Consultant or Specialist or Medical Officer, possessing a postgraduate medical degree with at least two years of experience in a Government hospital having at least 220 beds, shall be eligible to become an Assistant Professor of that broad specialty without the requirement of experience as Senior Resident and shall complete the Basic Course in Biomedical Research within two years of appointment.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, Dr. Meet Ghonia said, "The RTI response indicating that NMC has “no such data available” on non-teaching government hospitals designated as teaching institutions raises an important concern. When regulations refer to 220+ bed hospitals, maintaining a clear and accessible list of such institutions is fundamental."
"Policies affecting training capacity and specialist seats must be grounded in transparent, well-maintained data. Strengthening documentation and ensuring alignment between notifications and underlying records will enhance confidence in the regulatory process and support effective implementation of medical education reforms," he added.
Other information that Dr. Ghonia sought via the RTI application included senior residency duration at teaching institutes with 220 to 499 beds and senior residency duration for DNB candidates at institutes with 220 to 499 beds. He sought the details about the required duration of senior residency for eligibility as an Assistant Professor in Medical Colleges for candidates who are pursuing Senior Residency in Teaching Institutions having 220 to 499 beds, and clarification on whether the duration differs from that applicable for teaching institutions with 500 or more beds.
Another query raised by him was regarding the prescribed duration of senior residency for eligibility as Assistant Professor in Medical Colleges for candidates completing their DNB degrees in Teaching Institutions with 220 to 499 beds. He also sought clarification on whether such DNB candidates are treated at par with those trained in institutions having 500 or more beds regarding eligibility and experience.
In response, NMC referred to the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025. which is available at NMC's website.
Regarding Dr. Ghonia's queries on the required duration of senior residency for eligibility as Assistant Professor for candidates completing their DNB courses from the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD) New Delhi (which is a Central Government Hospital with more than 470 beds and conducts DNB Respiratory Medicine courses), after implementation of the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations 2025 and about whether NITRD was recognised as a teaching institute under the new regulations, his application was referred to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which said that "no such information is available" with NBEMS.
