2 days ago
30% quota for MSc and PhD faculty restored by medical colleges in non-clinical subjects
In a move expected to bring major relief to medical educators across India, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a public notice restoring the eligibility of MSc and PhD degree holders to occupy up to 30% of faculty positions in non-clinical subjects in medical colleges. This reinstatement follows extensive discussions and repeated appeals from the academic per the public notice dated July 5, 2025, the NMC stated that in medical institutions offering MBBS courses, holders of MSc (Medical) and/or PhD (Medical) qualifications shall be eligible to fill 30% of faculty positions in four non-clinical disciplines — Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacology. This decision will apply to all current and future faculty appointments, bringing much-needed clarity and consistency to faculty eligibility marks a return to the pre-2022 norms that had long allowed MSc and PhD holders to contribute to teaching in non-clinical departments. In 2022, under the NMC's revised Teacher Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ), the eligibility of MSc/PhD candidates will be put on hold, sparking concern about job losses and academic bottlenecks.
The latest announcement clarifies that the 30% cap must be applied department-wise, not across the institution as a whole. For example, if a medical college's Pharmacology department has ten faculty posts, three of those may now be filled by MSc or PhD the NMC specified that this restored quota applies only to non-clinical departments, and not to para-clinical or clinical disciplines like Microbiology, Pathology, or Community notice further explains that these appointments will be governed by the Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 2022, including required publications and experience. The regulatory body emphasised that eligibility alone does not guarantee selection — institutions must continue to follow merit-based selection processes and ensure compliance with teaching NMC's reversal comes after sustained pressure from associations of medical educators and MSc/PhD scholars, who had pointed out that excluding them would create a faculty shortage and compromise teaching quality in foundational sciences. Many institutions have also expressed difficulty filling positions in non-clinical subjects solely with MBBS and MD the decision is being lauded by teaching faculty and educational bodies, the NMC has clarified that it reserves the right to review and revise this quota policy in the future, based on academic and institutional notice concludes by urging all medical colleges and concerned authorities to implement the revised norms with immediate effect, ensuring that the quality of medical education remains uncompromised while addressing manpower gaps in non-clinical departments.- Ends
