Doctors Challenge NMC Regulations Allowing medical MSc, PhD holders as Faculty in core MBBS subjects
Delhi High Court
New Delhi: Challenging the National Medical Commission's regulations that permitted Medical MSc/PhD holders as faculty in core MBBS subjects, the doctors have filed a plea before the Delhi High Court.
In the plea, the association, the United Doctors Front (UDF), argued that allowing non-medical faculty is a dilution of medical education and a violation of constitutional/statutory provisions.
The petition has been listed for a hearing before the High Court bench comprising the Chief Justice of the Delhi HC on 21.08.2025, the association mentioned in a release.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that, releasing the final Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, the National Medical Commission (NMC) Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations have allowed medical MSc, PhD degree holders to be appointed as faculty in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Microbiology departments.
This follows a 2020 change that reduced non-medical faculty appointments in these departments to 15%, with some departments like Microbiology and Pharmacology restricted to 0%. The 2025 regulations restore non-medical faculty appointments to 30% in these subjects.
Medical MSc Degree holders were allowed to teach in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Microbiology and Pharmacology departments of medical colleges until 2020. Back then, the intake of Medical MSc and PhD teachers was allowed up to 30% of capacity per subject (50% in biochemistry).
However, in October 2020, NMC reduced the permissible percentage of Medical MSc/PhD faculty in subjects like Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology from 30% to 15%, while in Microbiology and Pharmacology, NMC decreased it to zero percent.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that releasing the "Guidelines for Undergraduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions,l Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023", NMC had clarified that only 15% of the total number of posts in the Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry departments could be filled by non-medical teachers.
On July 2, 2025, NMC released an amendment to the UG-MSR 2023 and clarified that Medical MSc and PhD holders would now be allowed in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Pharmacology departments to the extent of 30% of the total number of posts in the department, subject to the non-availability of medical teachers.
Also Read: NMC Allows Appointing Medical MSc, PhD degree holders as 30 percent faculty in 5 depts
