A major revision in how students with disabilities are assessed for MBBS admissions has been introduced by the National Medical Commission (NMC). The new interim guidelines, as reported by Medical Dialogues, move away from percentage-based disability criteria and instead prioritise the demonstration of essential functional abilities, a change brought in compliance with the Supreme Court’s October 2024 judgment in Om Rathod vs Union of India.
Framed by an expert committee constituted by the NMC, the guidelines will apply to MBBS admissions for the 2025–26 academic year. They mandate that all Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) must present a valid Unique Disability ID (UDID) card, self-certified affidavits in a prescribed format, and undergo a functional assessment by one of the 16 designated medical boards.
The shift aligns with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, and a March 2024 notification by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), which calls for greater inclusion and reasonable accommodations.
Candidates must now demonstrate their ability to meet academic and clinical competencies. In cases where a candidate cannot display certain competencies, boards may evaluate compensatory skills to determine overall capability.
As Medical Dialogues notes, this approach reorients the eligibility process from checking disability percentages to assessing whether students can safely and effectively pursue medical training. Medical boards have been authorised to use standardised tools to assess functional capabilities, and must record their verdicts as speaking orders.
Additionally, colleges have responsibilities under the RPwD Act. These include ensuring barrier-free access to infrastructure, appointing nodal officers, conducting sensitisation programmes, and maintaining responsive grievance systems. Institutions must also avoid any discrimination in the admission process.
The NMC emphasised that this interim framework is temporary. Finalised long-term regulations, including for postgraduate programmes, will be issued after further stakeholder consultations.
In the meantime, candidates are advised to visit the Intra MCC portal for complete procedural details.
The interim guidelines also include affidavit templates for candidates with visual, hearing, locomotor, and cognitive impairments, establishing a standardised format for self-declaration.