Centre recognises 36 CPS Diploma courses, details

New Delhi: In a major relief to the students, who had already enrolled in postgraduate degree and diploma courses in College of Physicians & Surgeons of Mumbai, the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission (NMC) have now stated that the qualifications of those students admitted between 17.10.2017 and 12.02.2018 will be recognized.

NMC, the Apex medical education regulatory body informed about this decision on its website and published the letter issued by the Under Secretary to Government of India.

In the letter directed to the NMC Secretary, the letter dated 18.10.2022 referred to the Ministry notifications in this regard and mentioned, "I am directed to refer to this Ministry's Notification of even number dated 17.10.2017 and 22.01.2018 (published on 12.02.2018),whereby Ministry first added and then deleted 36 postgraduate degree/diploma qualifications of College of Physicians and Surgeons, Bombay from the First & Third Schedule of Indian Medical Council Act. 1956."

The letter also mentioned about the representation from students who are facing problems to get their PG degrees registered because of this decision. Referring to this, the letter stated, "In this regard, It is stated that this Ministry is in receipt of a representation from a student who took admission in one those 36 courses after Ministry's Notification dated 17.10.2017 and now facing problem in getting her PG qualification registered."

Also Read: U-Turn: Ministry of Health De-Recognizes PG diplomas offered by CPS, Mumbai

Thereafter, the letter announced the decision of the Government to provide relief to the concerned students and mentioned, "The matter has been examined in the Ministry and it has been found that there are total 466 students (List enclosed), who are facing problems in this issue. Therefore, keeping in minds the future of the students, it is decided and clarified that these qualifications stand recognized for those students who had taken admission between 17.10.2017 and 12.02.2018 (both date inclusive)."

"You are, therefore, requested to give this a wide publicity so that the students concerned could get benefit of the decision of the Govt. of India," read the letter.

Medical Dialogues earlier reported about the CPS recognition issue. While DNB candidates in the country are fighting for the equivalence, candidates having degrees from College of Physicians and Surgeons are fighting for recognition. Erstwhile MCI on its part had been doing a Yo-Yo Movement when it comes to decision of recognition of these courses. In October 2017, through a gazette MCI recognised many CPS diplomas, while just 4 months later, through another notification de-recognised many other CPS degrees.

The matter of the recognition of these courses, as well as the infrastructure based on which they are provided was also brought up before the Bombay HC in 2018. In the case pertaining to the recognition of CPS courses, the Bombay High Court pulled up the central and the state government for allowing such courses to flourish despite opposition from the MCI adding that "If a CPS diploma holder cannot teach any student nor can be termed as an expert in any branch of medicine or surgery, then, there is no warrant in allowing him to retain this degree in his bio-data or nameplate."

However, last year, the Union Health Ministry had informed in the Parliament that altogether three CPS Diploma courses were earlier recognized by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These three Diploma courses include the Diploma in Child Health (DCH), Diploma in Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGO), and Diploma in Pathology and Bacteriology (DPB). These were also included in the First Schedule of the erstwhile Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act, 1956.

To view the official Notice, Click here : https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/document-1-188702.pdf

Also Read: CPS Diploma not Recognised: HC notice to Medical Councils