In a significant move aimed at expanding the pool of medical faculty, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has eased eligibility norms for the appointment of teaching staff at medical colleges, as reported by PTI.

According to the newly notified Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, doctors working in non-teaching roles at government hospitals will now be eligible for faculty posts based on their experience, without the mandatory requirement of senior residency.

Under the revised guidelines, consultants, specialists, or medical officers with a postgraduate medical degree and at least 10 years of experience in government hospitals can now be appointed as associate professors. 

Similarly, those with two years of experience in a government hospital with a minimum of 220 beds are now eligible for assistant professor posts, even without having completed senior residency. However, such candidates are required to complete a basic course in biomedical research within two years of their appointment.

More hospitals qualify as teaching institutions

The new norms, introduced by the Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) under the NMC, are designed to enhance faculty availability and facilitate the expansion of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical seats across the country.

Previously, the 2022 regulations permitted doctors in non-teaching roles to become assistant professors after two years of service in 330-bed hospitals that were being converted into medical colleges. The latest rules have relaxed this requirement by reducing the bed count to 220, thereby allowing more government hospitals to qualify as teaching institutions.

The commission noted that the reforms aim to unlock the existing human resource potential within the public healthcare system, especially as the Centre has announced plans to add 75,000 new medical seats over the next five years. A major hurdle in achieving this target has been the limited availability of qualified faculty.

Relaxation in PG course requirements

In another key change, postgraduate (MD/MS) courses can now be launched with just two faculty members and two seats, a relaxation from the earlier requirement of three faculty and one senior resident. Bed strength requirements per unit have also been rationalised across several specialities.

The regulations also expand eligibility for diploma holders. Those working as specialists or medical officers in the concerned departments of government medical institutions, or in institutions running NBEMS-recognised teaching programmes, can now be appointed as assistant professors after six years of cumulative experience.

Similarly, senior consultants with three years of teaching experience in government institutions recognised by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) will now qualify for professorships.

The revised norms also clarify that a cumulative teaching or academic experience of up to five years in institutions such as the NMC, state medical councils, universities, or government research bodies will count towards eligibility for faculty appointments.

In addition, the upper age limit for appointment as senior residents in pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, and Forensic Medicine has been raised to 50 years.

Candidates with postgraduate qualifications who have worked as tutors or demonstrators will also have that experience recognised towards eligibility for assistant professor positions.

UG and PG courses can begin simultaneously

Further, new government medical colleges will now be permitted to start undergraduate and postgraduate courses simultaneously, thereby accelerating the production of both healthcare professionals and teaching faculty, added PTI.

Describing the changes as a “paradigm shift”, the NMC stated that the focus is now moving from rigid service-based criteria to competency, teaching experience, and academic merit. 

“These forward-looking regulations will help strengthen institutional capacity, improve access to quality medical education, and ensure a robust pipeline of trained professionals,” it said.