New Delhi | The National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided to phase out all postgraduate diploma medical courses in the country and replace them with postgraduate broad-specialty degree programmes such as MD and MS.
In a communication issued on Monday to all medical colleges and institutions under its ambit, the NMC said, "The Academic Year 2026-27 shall be the last academic year for admission to postgraduate diploma courses."
It further clarified that no admissions will be permitted to PG diploma courses from 2027-28 onwards, and such courses will cease to be functional thereafter.
The NMC directed all concerned institutions and universities to take note of and comply with the provisions outlined in a public notice issued by its Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) on June 19.
In the public notice, the PGMEB had said the decision to phase out PG diploma courses was taken to "standardize postgraduate medical education, enhance the quality and recognition of specialist training, align postgraduate qualifications with contemporary educational standards, and optimize utilization of existing institutional capacity".
The board noted that many medical colleges currently run both postgraduate diploma and MD/MS courses in the same specialty, while some institutions offer only diploma courses despite already possessing the infrastructure, faculty and clinical material needed to conduct degree programmes.
"All Postgraduate Diploma courses shall be phased out, and converted to Post Graduate Broad Specialty Degree courses (MD/MS)," the NMC said.
The decision follows the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023. Referring to a footnote under Regulation 2.1, the notice said medical colleges may apply to the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) for converting diploma seats into degree seats.
"No more new applications will be entertained for permission to start or increase in number of diploma seats," it said.
The NMC's letter stated that institutions intending to convert diploma courses into corresponding MD/MS programmes would be required to submit applications to MARB through a dedicated online portal.
The regulator said detailed instructions on the application process and timelines would be issued separately by MARB.
According to the public notice, permission for conversion of diploma seats into degree seats will be granted only after institutions fulfil the standards and requirements prescribed by the commission from time to time.
The transition is expected to affect hundreds of postgraduate diploma seats across various specialties and is aimed at bringing greater uniformity and recognition to specialist medical training in the country.
