PG Medical Admissions Only in Online Mode, Seat Matrix to Include Fees for Each Course: New NMC Regulations
New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has made it mandatory to conduct counselling for postgraduate medical admissions via online mode only.
Releasing the newly notified Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER) 2023, the Apex Medical Commission has clarified that all the rounds of counselling for all seats will be held via online mode by the State or Central Counselling Authority.
Further, the Commission has specified that the medical colleges must mention the fees for each course while entering the details in the Seat Matrix.
The final PGMER 2023, which was published in the official Gazette on 29.12.2023, laid down the rules and regulations regarding admission, counselling, and other details related to the postgraduate medical courses.
Clause 4.3 of the regulations provided the details of the common counseling for admission to PG medical courses. "Without prejudice to anything stated in the present Regulations or other NMC Regulations, there shall be common counselling for admission to post-graduate courses in medicine for all medical institutions in India solely based on the merit list of respective exams. Provided the common counselling may have multiple rounds as may be necessary," mentioned the Regulations.
Making it mandatory for the counselling authorities to admit students via online mode only, NMC further added, "All rounds of counselling for all seats will be held on online mode by state or central counselling authority and no medical college/ institution will admit any candidate themselves."
"While entering details in seat matrix, medical colleges shall mention the amount of fees for each course, failing which seat will not be counted," it further mentioned.
The regulations further specified that PGMEB of NMC shall publish guidelines and time-schedule for the conduct of examination, common counselling, admission, joining and commencement of academic session; and the designated authority shall conduct common counselling in conformity with such published guidelines and time schedule.
However, the insistence on online counselling is not new. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NMC PG Board last year had clarified that the counselling agencies in the State and the Centre will fill up seats in all medical institutes through online counselling. This was done by NMC to put an end to the issue of seat blocking in medical colleges.
Clarifying that the mode of counselling will be online even for the stray vacany round in Private Medical Colleges from this academic year, NMC PG Board had further mentioned that no college/institute should conduct the counselling, including the stray vacancy round, in physical mode.
Referring to the PGMER 2023, the President of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board of the NMC Dr. Vijay Oza informed PTI that some changes in the examination system have also been introduced which includes formative assessment and option of multiple-choice questions in university examinations.
"This is to bring objectivity in examination and match international standards," Dr. Oza said.
Another change has been made in the District Residency Programme (DRP) to facilitate its implementation for better training of students. Previously, a district hospital was defined as a 100-bedded hospital. In the new regulations, the requirement has been reduced to 50 beds, Dr Oza explained.
"Under the DRP, doctors can be trained in a district hospital which shall be a functional public sector/government-funded hospital of not less than 50 beds instead of the previous requirement of 100 beds," the regulations read.
The DRP aims to train post-graduate students in district health systems and hospitals to strengthen healthcare services at the grassroots level. According to the new regulations, once a medical college is granted permission to start PG courses or seats, the course will be treated as recognised for the purpose of registration of qualification for students.
This will solve many difficulties faced by students to register their degree after passing postgraduate examinations, Dr Oza said. According to the new regulations, undergraduate medical colleges can start postgraduate courses from the third year now. Previously it was from the fourth year in clinical specialties.
Existing or proposed non-teaching hospitals owned and managed by government can start post graduate courses without having undergraduate colleges. This will facilitate government to start post graduate medical colleges in smaller government hospitals/district hospitals, Dr Oza said.
There will be a minimum standard requirement document that will prescribe requirement of infrastructure and faculty clinical material etc. for postgraduate institute.
All students will have to undergo courses in research methodology, ethics and cardiac life support skills. "For better implementation of these regulations, there is provision of penalty clause which includes monetary penalty, reduction in number of seats( admission capacity) or complete stoppage of admissions," the regulations stated.
