Pursuing unrecognised medical courses is a 'colossal waste'- Telangana medical council cautions doctors

Hyderabad: Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) recently warned to take strict legal action against registered medical practitioners of all streams of medicine if they are found to display unrecognised qualifications.

Clarifying that a modern scientific medicine qualification will be recognised only if it is listed and maintained by the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education board of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Telangana Medical Council has mentioned that any purported modern scientific medicine Diploma / Fellowship training and certification programs offered by self styled and unrecognized facilities such as Council of Cosmetology, Tricology, Regenerative and Aesthetic Sciences of India (COCTRASI), Institute of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine (ILAMED), Asian Institute of Advanced Dentistry (AIAD) etc. have absolutely no recognition whatsoever. TGMC said that the list of unrecognized facilities mentioned here is only illustrative and not exhaustive.

Therefore, the Council clarified that such unrecognised Diploma/Fellowship training and certification programs are futile and pursuing such courses are nothing but a "colossal waste" of the doctor's own time, effort, and money.

"It is further made clear that, any person who obtains training and certification from such unrecognized facilities will be doing so at his / her own peril and expense. Further, if it is found that any person after obtaining such unrecognized certification is found to be advertising and displaying such certification and / or is found to be practicing modern medicine on the basis of such certification in the State of Telangana then such person will face strict legal action from the Telangana Medical Council as per Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, Section 20 and 22 of Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1968, Section 34 r/w 54 of National Medical Commission Act, 2019, whichever is applicable," warned the Council.

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The warning in this regard was given by the Council in a public notice dated 28.07.2025 addressed to the registered medical practitioners of all streams of medicine including Allopathy, Dental and AYUSH etc. and general public.

In the notice, Telangana Medical Council referred to relevant provisions of Sections 35 and 37 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, which are as follows:

Section 35

(1) The medical qualification granted by any University or medical institution in India shall be listed and maintained by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, as the case may be, in such manner as may be specified by the regulations and such medical qualification shall be a recognised medical qualification for the purposes of this Act.

(2) Any University or medical institution in India which grants an undergraduate or postgraduate or super-speciality medical qualification not included in the list maintained by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, as the case may be, may apply to that Board for granting recognition to such qualification.

(4) Where the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, as the case may be, decides to grant recognition to a medical qualification, it shall include such medical qualification in the list maintained by it and also specify the date of effect of such recognition.

(8) All medical qualifications which have been recognized before the date of commencement of this Act and are included in the First Schedule and Part I of the Third Schedule to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), shall also be recognized medical qualifications for the purposes of this Act, and shall be listed and maintained by the UnderGraduate Medical Education Board or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, as the case may be, in such manner as may be specified by the regulations.

Section 37

(1) The medical qualifications granted by any statutory or other body in India which are covered by the categories listed in the Schedule shall be recognised medical qualifications for the purposes of this Act.

(3) The Central Government may, on the recommendation of the Commission, and having regard to the objects of this Act, by notification, add to, or, as the case may be, omit from, the Schedule any categories of medical qualifications granted by a statutory or other body in India and on such addition, or as the case may be, omission, the medical qualifications granted by such statutory or other body in India shall be, or shall cease to be, recognized medical qualifications for the purposes of this Act.

Referring to these provisions, TGMC clarified the following:

A. A MODERN SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE qualification will be recognised only if it is listed and maintained by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board, NMC or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, NМС.

B. Any undergraduate or postgraduate or super-speciality, or fellowship MODERN SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE qualification is invalid if it is not included in the list maintained by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board, NMC or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, NMC.

C. Where the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board, NMC or the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, NMC, decides to grant recognition to a medical qualification, then it shall include such medical qualification in the list maintained by NMC.

D. The medical qualifications granted by any statutory or other body in India which are covered by the categories listed in the Schedule alone shall be recognised medical qualifications.

E. The Central Government may, by notification, add to, or, omit from, the Schedule any categories of medical qualifications granted by a statutory or other body in India and on such addition, or omission, the medical qualifications granted by such statutory or other body in India shall be, or shall cease to be, recognized medical qualifications for the purposes of this Act.

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