NCAHP makes class XII Science mandatory for admission to paramedical colleges

NCAHP makes class XII Science mandatory for admission to paramedical colleges 

Divyansh.Kumar@timesofindia.com 

TIMES OF INDIA BENGALURU 23.03.2026

By raising academic eligibility from class X to class XII for paramedical education, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) aims to standardise allied health training, strengthen scientific competence and crackdown on substandard commercialised colleges. 

The change in eligibility requirement also aims to bring Indian qualifications at par with global standards. The new framework, effective from 2026-27 academic year, will end the long-standing class X entry route for paramedical diplomas and make Science at the senior secondary level compulsory for clinical courses at nearly 500 government institutes offering around 48,000 seats and at about 3,800 private institutes having over 3.6 lakh seats. 

The move, claims NCAHP, was long-overdue as the sector was fragmented, uneven and vulnerable to low-quality provision. “The core issue is fragmentation, in a city, we have 10 different types of allied programmes being run, but they are all awarding the exact same degree. The basic objective of the NCAHP Act — which covers 57 professions — is the standardisation of education, services, and establishing minimum standards for institutions,” says Dr Yagna U Shukla, chairperson, NCAHP, Delhi. 

She adds that healthcare training cannot be compared with polytechnic education. “Unlike polytechnic courses where students deal with machines, a class X base is sufficient, however, healthcare workers support human lives. Therefore, a science background is an absolute necessity. The requirement was also backed by professionals who found that students without a science background struggled with coursework,” Dr Shukla says. 

The Commission had opted to use NEET for allied degree courses because the act mandates entry and exit examinations. “Taking NEET indirectly serves the purpose of an entry-level exam based on class XII qualifications,” she says. However, the NCAHP recently deferred a plan to make the NEET-UG exam mandatory for UG degree courses such as Physiotherapy (BPT) and Occupational Therapy (BOT) to the 2027-28 academic year, citing logistical challenges from NTA regarding an unexpected surge in candidates. 

The reform has triggered concern in several states, particularly in Karnataka, where Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash R Patil has warned that nearly 500 paramedical colleges could face closure if the class X route is removed. But Dr Shukla says the transition was not abrupt and that institutions had been given notice. She suggested that shorter, non-clinical or skillbased programmes could move under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). 

“We are not restricting the eligibility but standardising it. For the 1 or 2year programmes that do not require a strict science background, need not be closed.” 

Access Debate 

For decades, post-class X paramedical diplomas functioned as a fast-track route to employment, especially for students from rural and lower-income families. Some fear the new entry norm could shut that door and shrink the grassroots healthcare workforce. Dr B Karunakar Reddy, former VC, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences, Telangana, says the class X diploma ecosystem had often been driven by commercial interests rather than quality training. “In many districts, you will find 10 to 15 paramedical colleges. Many of these were just one room setups running multiple courses with practically no training and no hospital attachments. The diploma was not very useful unless a private hospital hired candidates and retrained,” says Dr Reddy. 

The shift to class XII-level allied health sciences degrees has begun showing results in Telangana. “The response has been excellent, and the seats fill up completely,” he says

DME launches portal for foreign medical graduates to check vacant internships

DME launches portal for foreign medical graduates to check vacant internships

Portal to also enable candidates to apply online directly and obtain their allotment orders; Health Minister distributes appointment orders to 668 nurses who served during COVID-19 pandemic

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian unveiling the portal launched by the Directorate of Medical Education during an event to distribute appointment orders to temporary nurses.SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI 22.02.2026

The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and Research on Saturday launched a web portal to enable Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG) to check vacant internship positions in government and private medical colleges in the State, apply online directly, and obtain their allotment orders.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said the portal was launched to do away with the difficulty of students having to search for vacant positions to take up their Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) training.

Shortly after launching the portal, the Minister said that foreign medical students were previously required to pay ₹3 lakh to the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University to undergo internship training at medical colleges in the State. They also had to visit a number of offices for applications and take up internship positions wherever there were vacancies. This fee was waived after this (DMK) government assumed office, and they were also granted a monthly stipend of ₹25,000 during their internship period.

Following this, the Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association - Foreign wing thanked the Minister for fulfilling their demand to make the internship application process online.

FMGs are required to undergo CRMI to obtain permanent registration in India. For this, they had to visit DME office in Chennai and submit the necessary documents within the specified dates. This caused difficulties for those coming from distant districts. So, they made a request to take this process online. They also welcomed the launch of the portal as the number of available vacancies will be published transparently.

Appointment orders

Earlier, Mr. Subramanian handed over appointment orders to 668 nurses, who had worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the last batch of nurses to be given appointment orders.

To ensure that none of the nurses who worked during COVID-19 were left out, they were granted special marks and appointed in 708 urban health and wellness centres, 50 primary health centres (PHC), and urban PHCs, he said.

A total of 2,814 persons were temporarily appointed during the pandemic. Of them, 2,146 had already received appointment orders through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) on a contractual basis. There were issues in submitting documents for the remaining candidates, and they had requested contract appointments through MRB. They were called individually and their documents were verified. Appointment orders have now been issued to 668 persons.

The Minister said that the State government has been gradually granting permanent posts to those working on a temporary basis through MRB since 2014. “Between 2014 and 2021 — a period of seven years during the previous AIADMK regime, only 1,871 individuals were granted permanent appointments,” he said, adding that as promised in the DMK election manifesto, 5,825 contract nurses have received permanent job orders within five years of the present government.

Bar for NEET-PG lowered: Just show up Students And Experts Oppose Move

Bar for NEET-PG lowered: Just show up 

Students And Experts Oppose Move

 Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 11.02.2026

Chennai : National medical commission will continue to use NEET-PG 2026 as criterion for admissions to master’s programmes in medicine. Yet, candidates can qualify simply by showing up, even if they answer every question incorrectly or skip them entirely. 

NMC chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth told TOI that after two rounds of admission in 2025, cut-offs were slashed to a NEET-PG score of -40. “We were left with no choice. More than 10,000 seats were vacant. There were vacancies in clinical courses at govt colleges,” he argued. 

Results of the 3 rd round released by the medical counselling committee drew fire as students with low scores, including single digits out of 800, grabbed govt seats in high-demand courses such as orthopaedics. “Doing away with eligibility scores will not take away priority from meritorious students. Many competitive examinations abroad follow this model. Students who have better scores can opt for a preferred course and institution. 

A student with a lower score will not be placed over a meritorious candidate. It will avoid delays in the admission process,” he said. Students and experts have vehemently opposed the move. “NMC is not an efficient regulatory body like the UK’s general medical council or the American board of medical specialities,” argued Dr Priya G, who is awaiting PG admissions. 

“We wrote the exam in August and received scorecards the same month. But the admission is yet to be completed. Every year, we see a new set of problems in admissions, from paper leaks to errors in scoring and counselling mismanagement,” she said. 

Academic counsellors say that if the commission decides to allow students with poor scores to take part from round one, it will dilute merit entirely. “Seats go to the highest bidder, not the best prepared. There are vacancies, but for that, we cannot reward failure,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “It seems very wrong because this system seems to supply candidates to colleges that charge very high fees,” he said.

துணைவேந்தா்கள் நியமனம்: தேடல் குழு பதவிக் காலம் நீட்டிப்பு நடவடிக்கையை கைவிட ஆளுநா் அறிவுறுத்தல்

தமிழ்நாடு

துணைவேந்தா்கள் நியமனம்: தேடல் குழு பதவிக் காலம் நீட்டிப்பு நடவடிக்கையை கைவிட ஆளுநா் அறிவுறுத்தல்

தமிழகத்தின் 3 பல்கலைக்கழகங்களின் துணைவேந்தா் நியமனத்துக்கு அமைக்கப்பட்ட தோ்வுக் குழுக்களின் பதவிக் காலத்தை தமிழக அரசு நீட்டிக்கும் நடவடிக்கையை உடனடியாக நிறுத்த ஆளுநா் ஆா்.என்.ரவி அறிவுறுத்தல்

ஆளுநா் ஆா்.என். ரவிகோப்புப் படம்

தினமணி செய்திச் சேவை

Updated on:

03 பிப்ரவரி 2026, 2:43 am

தமிழகத்தின் மூன்று பல்கலைக்கழகங்களின் துணைவேந்தா் நியமனத்துக்கு அமைக்கப்பட்ட தோ்வுக் குழுக்களின் பதவிக் காலத்தை தமிழக அரசு நீட்டித்திருப்பது நீதிமன்ற உத்தரவுகளுக்கு முரணானது; இந்த நடவடிக்கையை உடனடியாக நிறுத்த வேண்டும் என தமிழக அரசை ஆளுநா் ஆா்.என்.ரவி கேட்டுக்கொண்டுள்ளாா்.

இதுகுறித்து ஆளுநா் மாளிகை செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை வெளியிட்ட செய்திக்குறிப்பு: பாரதியாா் பல்கலைக்கழகம், பாரதிதாசன் பல்கலைக்கழகம் மற்றும் பெரியாா் பல்கலைக்கழகம் போன்ற சில தமிழக அரசின் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களுக்கு துணைவேந்தா் நியமனம் செய்வதற்கான பெயரை பரிந்துரைப்பதற்கான தேடல் குழுக்களுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்ட பதவிக் காலம் நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது தொடா்பான சட்ட நிலைப்பாட்டை ஆளுநா் மாளிகை பதிவு செய்ய விரும்புகிறது.

தமிழக பல்கலைக்கழக துணைவேந்தா்களை நியமிக்க சட்டபூா்வ விதிகளுக்கு இணங்க, முறையாக அமைக்கப்பட்ட தேடல் குழுக்கள் பரிந்துரைக்கும் மூன்று பெயா்களைக் கொண்ட பட்டியலிருந்து ஒருவரை வேந்தரே (ஆளுநா்) தோ்வு செய்து துணைவேந்தராக நியமிக்கப்பட்டு வந்துள்ளனா்.

இந்நிலையில், பல்கலைக்கழகச் சட்டங்களில் சில திருத்தங்களைச் செய்த தமிழக அரசு, துணைவேந்தா்களை நியமிக்கும் அதிகாரம் அரசுக்கு உள்ளது என திருத்தம் கொண்டு வந்தது. இதை எதிா்த்து உயா்நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்கு தொடரப்பட்டு, துணைவேந்தா்களை நியமிக்கும் அதிகாரத்தை வேந்தரிடமிருந்து (ஆளுநா்) பறித்து, அதை அரசிடம் ஒப்படைக்கும் சட்டத் திருத்தத்துக்கு சென்னை உயா்நீதிமன்றம் தடை விதித்துள்ளது.

இந்நிலையில் தமிழக பல்கலைக்கழகங்கள் துணைவேந்தா் பதவிக்கு நியமனம் செய்வதற்கான பெயரைப் பரிந்துரைக்கவும், தேடல் குழுக்களின் பதவிக் காலத்தை நீட்டித்து 21.03.2026 வரை கூடுதல் அவகாசம் அளித்தும் தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவுகளை பிறப்பித்துள்ளது. மேலும், பெரியாா், பாரதிதாசன் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களுக்கு சட்டவிரோதமாக அமைக்கப்பட்ட தேடல் குழுகள், துணைவேந்தரைத் தோ்ந்தெடுப்பதற்காக பட்டியலிடப்பட்ட வேட்பாளா்களுடன் கடந்த 24.01.2026 மற்றும் 27.01.2026 ஆகிய தேதிகளில் கலந்துரையாடல்களையும் நடத்தியுள்ளது.

வழக்குகள் நிலுவையில் உள்ள நிலையில், தேடல் குழுக்களின் பதவிக் காலத்தை நீட்டிக்கும் மாநில அரசின் நடவடிக்கை, நீதிமன்றங்களின் உத்தரவுகளை மீறுவதாகும்.

இதனால் ஆளுநா்-வேந்தரால் பரிந்துரைத்தபடி தேடல் குழுவில் யுஜிசி தலைவரின் வேட்பாளரைச் சோ்க்க உடனடியாக உத்தரவுகளைப் பிறப்பிக்க வேண்டும் அல்லது தற்போது அரசால் அமைக்கப்பட்ட தேடல் குழுக்களின் செயல்பாட்டையும், துணைவேந்தா்களைத் தோ்ந்தெடுத்து நியமிப்பதற்கான அனைத்து நடவடிக்கைகளையும் உடனடியாக நிறுத்தி வைக்க வேண்டும் என தமிழக அரசை வேந்தரான தமிழக ஆளுநா் கேட்டுக் கொண்டுள்ளாா் என அதில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

CM opposes NEET for allied and health care courses

CM opposes NEET for allied and health care courses

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin says NEET has forced students to rely on expensive coaching classes.Getty Images

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai  25.01.2026

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday said admission modalities for allied and health care courses (AHCs) fall within the jurisdiction of the State government and that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) should be kept out of these admissions.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the National Commission for Allied and Health Care Professions (NCAHP) making NEET mandatory for admission to two undergraduate degree courses — Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) — had made a “hasty and ad hoc decision” with “multiple deleterious consequences”.

Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had consistently opposed NEET for MBBS admissions and had repeatedly cautioned against the danger of its extension to other courses, Mr. Stalin said the State’s worst apprehensions had now come true. “It is evident from recent communications from the Union Health Ministry that NEET is being prescribed for these two courses as the first step in a larger plan to make it mandatory for all Allied and Health Care Courses in the future. This attempt, being made without due consultation with State Governments — who are constitutionally responsible for both the health and education sectors — is totally unacceptable to us,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said that the introduction of NEET for MBBS admissions had forced 1.4 lakh students to rely on expensive coaching classes and sit for the examination to compete for just 12,000 seats.

“This has created unnecessary costs, stress and anxiety for families, and has rendered performance in school examinations redundant. Extending this flawed model to a wider range of AHCs will only aggravate the situation,” he said. He noted that Tamil Nadu had over 50,000 seats in Allied and Health Care Courses, and lakhs of aspirants for these programmes came from far poorer socio-economic backgrounds than MBBS candidates. “Hence, forcing these families to spend money on NEET coaching would amount to a gross injustice,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said the mandate needed to be reviewed and the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) instructed to withdraw the decision immediately. “Given the urgency of the issue, I look forward to your personal intervention,” he added.

NEET PG cut-off slashed to 7th percentile for general category

NEET PG cut-off slashed to 7th percentile for general category 

IN GUJARAT, 642 SEATS VACANT 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  14.01.2026

Ahmedabad : After prolonged deliberations and mounting pressure from states, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) officially announced a significant reduction in the NEET-PG percentile criteria for admission to postgraduate medical courses, including MD and MS. The decision came after the completion of two rounds of counselling, with a large number of seats remaining vacant across the country.

Candidates from the general and EWS categories in the 7th percentile too will now be considered eligible for PG medical admission, equivalent to 103 marks in NEET-PG. For candidates in the GeneralPwD category, the qualifying percentile reduced to 5 percentile (around 90 marks). Notably, candidates belonging to SC, ST, and OBC categories will now be eligible at 0 percentile, which corresponds to minus 40 marks.

The earlier eligibility criteria —50th percentile (general), 45th percentile (PwD), and 40th percentile (reserved categories) — were applied for the first two rounds of counselling. However, despite this, over 20,000 PG medical seats remain vacant nationwide. In Gujarat alone, around 642 seats are currently vacant due to non-reporting by candidates, unconfirmed admissions, newly approved seats, and non-converted seats. 

Following the revised percentile announcement, authorities confirmed that fresh registration was mandatory for candidates wishing to participate in the upcoming counselling rounds under the lowered eligibility criteria. There have also been demands that candidates who did not secure their preferred courses in the first two rounds be allowed to participate in the fresh round. Registration for local seats in Gujarat is expected to begin on Thursday, with the detailed admission schedule to be announced shortly thereafter.

Scalpel losing edge: Few medical grads opt for surgery

Scalpel losing edge: Few medical grads opt for surgery 

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 

New Delhi : India’s top-performing medical graduates have made their preference clear in this year’s NEET-PG counselling — career stability is trumping the operating table. In the first round of NEET-PG 2025, medicine and radiology dominated choices among high-rankers while general surgery saw one of its steepest drops in recent years, reflecting growing concerns over stress, long training pathways and mounting medico-legal pressures. 

Among the first 1,500 candidates, 632 (42%) chose MD General Medicine and 447 (30%) opted for MD Radiodiagnosis. Only 99 students (6.6%) selected MS General Surgery, indicating a widening shift away from high-risk procedural fields. A strong preference for Delhi also emerged, with six of the top 10 candidates choosing Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. 

Dr Neeraj Nischal from the department of medicine at AIIMS said, “MD Medicine is the gateway to almost all superspecialities, so it has always been in high demand. Students feel diagnostics offers a more controlled work life, though that may not always be true.” The fall in interest for surgery, senior clinicians say, is rooted in deeper anxieties. “Surgical branches are very demanding — you need passion. Otherwise, burnout is inevitable,” Dr Nischal said. 

Surgeons themselves acknowledge that the field has steadily lost appeal. “It takes much longer to settle down because general surgery is only the first step — you usually need to super-specialise in neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, urology or paediatric surgery,” said Dr Piyush Ranjan from AIIMS surgery department.

MBBS counselling impacted after MCC adds new seats midway

MBBS counselling impacted after MCC adds new seats midway

 Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com 27.10.2025

TIMES EDUCATION   BANGALURU

Addition of 11,000 MBBS seats and introduction of new medical colleges midway has impacted the ongoing NEET UG 2025-26 counselling process adding to the troubles of aspirants. While the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has allowed seat upgrade options till the third round since last year (2024-25), the introduction of seats midway has led to disruption in seat allotment. Candidates who secured seats in the first two rounds felt cheated after new seats were opened in top medical colleges, as they already paid fees and reported to their allotted colleges. Since new seats have been added in a few AIIMS and govt medical colleges, candidates who had to settle for lesser-known colleges are clearly frustrated. 

Since many candidates did not choose the upgrade option, they have now missed the chance to compete for the newly added seats. The untimely addition of seats has created unequal opportunities for several talented candidates. Delhi-based counselling expert, Ashish Sinha, says, “NMC delayed the process of inspections and granting approvals to medical colleges. 

By the time new seats were added, aspirants had already joined elsewhere and could not participate in further rounds, as they did not select the upgrade option during the first round of counselling. If seats were added well before the counselling, the cut-off would not look elevated. High ranking students would have thoughtfully opted for the seat in a prominent college, based on their NEET scores.” Candidates who chose upgrade option will have to face significant financial strain as most of them have paid the fee, which is not fully refundable. Several medical colleges, such as MGM Medical College, Panvel, Maharashtra, charge up to Rs 50,000 as are location fee if a candidate decides to transfer to another institution, adds Sinha. 

According to the new MCC rules, aspirants can opt out of locking their seats until round III, which is mandatory during the stray vacancy phase. Dr B Srinivas, member secretary, MCC, says, “The decision to allow upgrade option in the third round was made to accommodate delayed seat approvals by NMC and ensure fair opportunities for all candidates. We knew that seat allotments were getting delayed repeatedly, so we consciously introduced upgradation in the third round this year.” 

The move benefits students seeking government medical colleges after initially being allotted private colleges. “If a student got a private medical seat earlier but now prefers a government college, with the help of this option, they can move to the college of their choice. The vacated seat will automatically be allotted to another candidate, ensuring that all available seats are filled. This system is expected to create a dynamic flow of seat reallocation, giving more students the chance to secure better placements,” Dr Srinivas adds.

However, aspirants appearing for the state counselling face difficulty in switching from state colleges to the colleges offering All India Quota (AIQ) seats. “State counselling bodies impose strict regulations that prevent students from switching to MCC seats after Round II. In one case, during the 2025-26 counselling cycle, an aspirant who had secured admission in Karnataka paid Rs 44 lakh as annual fees, but he was unable to move to DY Patil Medical College, Pune, in Round III. New seats introduced in Round III under MCC significantly lowered the cut-off for DY Patil, Pune. Had all seats been released at once, the student would likely have secured admission there in Round II. Rules stipulate that if an aspirant surrenders a seat after Round II, the entire first-year fee is forfeited—locking them into their initial choice,” says Sinha.

MBBS, BDS admissions halted due to tech glitch, seat uncertainty

MBBS, BDS admissions halted due to tech glitch, seat uncertainty 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 17.10.2025

Chennai : MBBS/BDS admissions for 2025 have been halted amid a technical glitch on the website and seat uncertainty though medical colleges opened on Sept 22 for all freshmen. On Thursday, the process was stalled after Medical Counselling Committee's official portal went down when students attempted to log in and lock their college choices. The committee, which admits students to central institutions, deemed universities and All India quota seats in state-run medical colleges, gave candidates until midnight to make choices. 

This technical glitch comes even as National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory authority, continues to approve additional seats for existing medical colleges and grant recognition to new colleges for the 2025 academic year. “This is the third round of counselling, and the seat matrix still does not reflect all sanctioned seats,” said student counsellor S Shanmugam. 

“Some seats were added on Wednesday. If they are not added to the seat matrix, they will be available only for students in the stray round. How is this process justified?” he said. Officials at the central counselling committee said arevised schedule will be released once the final seat matrix is received from NMC. 

Meanwhile, the state selection committee stated that the counselling process for admission to govt quota seats in state-run medical colleges, self-financing medical colleges, and state private universities will commence only after the MCC completes its third round. “That way, students will be able to make informed decisions,” said a senior official. Medical college faculty say students joining late tend to miss at least two months of college. 

“By the time the last batch of students join college, they would have missed at least two months of classes. How will they catch up on portions?” said a senior anatomy professor of a govt medical college. “Faculty don’t have the time to conduct special classes, and it’s tough for new students to cope with these portions,” he said.

NEET cut-offs for MBBS, BDS drop after 2nd round of counselling

NEET cut-offs for MBBS, BDS drop after 2nd round of counselling

SEAT MATRIX 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 03.10.2025

Chennai : At the end of second round of counselling for MBBS/BDS admissions, cutoffs in NEET-UG 2025 came down by two to four marks in govt medical colleges compared to first round, and up to 10 marks in govt quota seats in self-financing colleges. While the last mark for a student to get into a medical college (state private university) was 354, the cut-off scores in BDS dropped by up to 100-222 marks in round 2 of counselling.

At the end of round 2, cutoffs dropped in almost all categories, although there was no major difference in ranks. For instance, the OC (open category) cut-off for govt colleges plummeted from 650 in 2024 to 534 in 2025. In 2024, NEET cutoff for a student to get into any college in any category at the end of round 2 was 403 marks. In BDS, the cut-off was 245.

The drop in cut-offs doesn’t indicate an easing of admissions, experts say. “There is only a marginal difference in the ranks of students, though we see big differences in scores,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Students, including many repeat candidates, found the NEET 2025 tougher. Overall performance dropped across India. There was no perfect score, and the top score was 686,” he said.

Students who were allotted seats must join colleges of their choice before deadline, or they will have to take part in the round 3 of counselling for colleges of their choice. 

The National Medical Commission allowed St Peter’s Medical College Hospital to take 100 more students by increasing total seats to 250, while Vivekananda Medical College Hospital and Research Institute will add 50 seats. These seats, along with 50 more in BDS, will be added to seat matrix once the state medical university grants affiliation, said selection committee officials.

Will use of ‘Dr (PT)’ title lend clarity to identity of physiotherapists

Will use of ‘Dr (PT)’ title lend clarity to identity of physiotherapists

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 29.09.2025

The confusion surrounding the use of the prefix ‘Dr’ and ‘suffix ‘PT’ for physiotherapists is impacting aspirants’ perception of the profession, requiring an immediate resolution of the issue, to make an informed decision about the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) programme. 

Two contradictory directives issued by the DGHS recently created ambiguity among NEET qualified/appeared candidates. Earlier in the month, the DGHS announced that physiotherapists cannot use the prefix ‘Dr’, emphasising that the practice is misleading and legally untenable. However, within a week, announcement was retracted and the regulatory bodies will now take a final call after examining the case. The NCAHP suggested that physiotherapists can use the prefix ‘Dr’ and suffix ‘PT’. Yagna Shukla, chairperson, NCAHP, says, “For the first time, it formally recognised physiotherapists’ right to use ‘Dr’, provided they also used the suffix ‘PT’ to make their professional identity clear. It was a long-awaited recognition of their role as autonomous healthcare professionals.” It would be wrong to look to the Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916 that the DGHS had referred to in its first letter, to justify the need to remove the ‘Dr’ and ‘PT’ titles. Shukla says that it is a colonial law, written 109 years ago to curb quackery at a time when only MBBS-equivalent doctors were recognised. “Applying it rigidly in 2025 ignores the fact that healthcare is now multidisciplinary, with dentistry, physiotherapy, and psychology functioning as independent professions,” she adds. Physiotherapy being an allied health profession, the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialists and orthopaedics claimed that the ‘Dr’ prefix is not in consonance with NMC Act, and once physiotherapists start using the ‘Dr’ prefix, it would be difficult to differentiate between a doctor who has done an MBBS-MD, and a physiotherapist who has done BPT.

367 MBBS seats vacant after 2nd round added to management quota

367 MBBS seats vacant after 2nd round added to management quota 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 26.09.2025

Chennai : At least 367 MBBS seats in self-financing colleges and state private universities that were vacant after two rounds of counselling by state selection panel, will be added to management quota seats in the third round of counselling. 

Additionally, 100 seats—50 each from Vivekananda Medical College and St Peters Medical College—awaiting affiliation from state medical university will also be added to the seat matrix, officials said. 

In round 2 results of MBBS/BDS counselling released by state selection panel on Wednesday, NRI seats in several self-financing medical colleges were not allotted as candidates did not opt for seats. This year, the fixation of fees panel, struck down the NRI lapsed seats category, which was created to fill in non-NRI candidates alongside management quota in self-financing medical/dental colleges and state private universities. The selection committee will hence transfer vacant NRI seats to the common pool in management category, allowing students to take these seats at a 30% lower cost. The panel fixed MBBS fees for 2025 in self-financing colleges at ₹15 lakh a year, and fee for NRIs was ₹27 lakh. Until 2024, self-financing colleges were allowed to collect ₹24.5 lakh as NRI fees. Colleges set aside 15% of the seats for NRI category. If these seats were not filled, they were converted into NRI lapse seats, which had ₹21.50 lakh as annual tuition fee. The six seats under the minority quota will be converted only after the institute agrees to convert them into management quota seats, officials added.

HC: Conduct add’l mop-up counselling for NEET-SS

HC: Conduct add’l mop-up counselling for NEET-SS 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  19.09.2025

Chennai : Madras high court has directed the director general of health services and the medical counselling committee to conduct additional mopup counselling for NEET-SS 2024-25 to include the unfilled super-specialty seats in Tamil Nadu and complete the process within four weeks. 

Justice G K Ilanthiriayan issued the order following a plea by three PG doctors who wanted to pursue super-specialty courses of their choice but were denied due to the nonconduct of mop-up counselling. Representing the petitioners, senior advocate P H Arvindh Pandian submitted that the failure of the counselling committee to conduct mop-up counselling for NEET-SS 202425 has left a large number of super-specialty seats vacant, despite there being willing, eligible, and meritorious candidates available to fill them. 

The denial of a mop-up counselling round results in the arbitrary and unjustified non-utilization of valuable public and private medical education resources, particularly in high-demand specialties and prestigious institutions like the Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College, and Madurai Medical College.

 “The authorities are under a statutory and administrative obligation under the PG Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2019, to conduct counselling for all super specialty seats in a manner that ensures maximum seat utilization. The current approach defeats this objective,” he added.

Only 2% students allotted seats in govt medical colleges retained

Only 2% students allotted seats in govt medical colleges retained

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 09.09.2025

Chennai : Only 14% of students who were allotted MBBS seats by Central Medical Counselling Committee joined govt colleges allotted to them, and only 2% retained their seats, an analysis of the seat matrix released by the committee shows. Of the 835 seats in 38 govt run colleges in TN, including AIIMS Madurai, Central committee allotted students to 824 seats through online counselling. The seats are allotted based on merit in NEET-2025, the rule of reservation, and students’ choices. Students were asked to join colleges by Aug 22. 

The data on vacancies for Round 2 counselling released by the committee shows that 707 candidates used the ‘free exit’ option, either to select a better college from the options provided by respective state counselling committees, or to look for better choices in the subsequent rounds. Among the 114 students who joined the colleges allocated to them, 95 students chose an ‘upgrade’. These seats, considered virtual vacancies, will be allocated to students if the candidate is admitted to another college of their choice, or will be retained by the same candidate. 

All states surrender 15% of seats in state-run colleges for admission under the allIndia quota. The Central committee allots students to allIndia quota seats and all seats in Central institutions and deemed universities. Across India, 7,140 seats are vacant, data shows. Experts say Round 1 of medical counselling has become redundant as state allows students who opt for the seat to exit freely. “The students are given the seat only if they opt for it. I understand if they want to upgrade. If they decide to quit, they should not be allowed to participate in the process any further,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. Meanwhile, in deemed universities across the country, all 9,244 seats were allotted, and 6,314 joined the college. Among these, 3,202 candidates (35%) retained the seats.

“Deemed university fee is higher but students who don’t have high scores and therefore have poor chances of admission in govt or self-financing colleges apply for them. In these colleges, cut-offs increase in Round 2,” said S Shanmugaprasad, a NEET coach. In the second round of counselling, 2,930 seats from Round 1 and 623 newly added seats will be vacant. In TN, three deemed universities — Sri Lalithambigai Medical College, Bharath Medical College, and Vels Medical College — have been given 50 additional seats each. Vacancies in state medical colleges are yet to be released by the state counselling committee. Officials said they are waiting for Centre to release the list of new colleges and additional seats granted to existing colleges in TN to prepare the seat matrix for Round 2 of counselling.

UG, PG medical seats may increase by around 8,000 this academic year, says NMC Chief

UG, PG medical seats may increase by around 8,000 this academic year, says NMC Chief

PTI | , New Delhi

Published on: Aug 20, 2025 06:46 pm IST

NMC Chief Dr Abhijat Sheth said that the number of UG and PG medical seats in the country is expected to see a cumulative increase of around 8,000.

The number of undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats in the country is expected to see a cumulative increase of around 8,000 this academic year, and an assessments of medical colleges is underway, National Medical Commission chief Dr Abhijat Sheth has said.

The number of undergraduate and postgraduate seats may increase by around 8,000 this academic year, NMC Chief Dr Abhijat Sheth informed. (HT FILE)

Counselling for the NEET-UG is already underway and the first round has been completed. The second round of counselling is expected to start by August 25.

There are concerns about the number of medical seats decreasing this year after the CBI busted a network of officials of Union health ministry, National Medical Commission (NMC), intermediaries and representatives of private medical colleges allegedly involved in a litany of "egregious" acts, including corruption and unlawful manipulation of the regulatory framework governing medical colleges, in July this year.

When the CBI probe began, the NMC had put on hold the process for increasing the number of seats or starting new courses.

The agency had named 34 people in an FIR, including eight health ministry officials, a National Health Authority official and five doctors who were part of the NMC inspection team.

In an interview to PTI, Dr Sheth said, "Along with my appointment, the president of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) also has been appointed. We have taken up completion of inspection of UG medical seats on a priority basis and the assessments are under progress."

"We expect an increase of roughly around 8,000 seats (UG and PG seats combined) based on the number of applications we have received in this academic year," he said.

Presently, there are 1,18,098 UG seats with 59,782 in government and 58,316 in private. The number of PG seats is 53,960 with 30,029 in government and 23,931 in private.

On the total number of MBBS seats decreasing as compared to the last academic session, Dr Sheth said, "Because of the ongoing (CBI) inquiry, the numbers of UG seats may have reduced. However, overall, the number of seats is eventually going to increase by 8,000 or even more after the completion of the total inspection process."

For the PG counselling, Dr Sheth said the process for the inspections of medical college, which have applied for new PG seats, has been initiated and that the counselling for it is going to take place in September.

"We are confident that new seats will also be added to the PG counselling process," he said.

Asked when the National Exit Test (NExT) for final year MBBS students, as envisaged in the NMC Act, will be held, Dr Sheth termed the exam as a "novel concept", but stressed that consensus among all stakeholders have to be reached.

He added that concerns of students about the exam need to be addressed before conducting it, saying its implementation "will take a while".

"NExT is a novel concept no doubt but there are many unanswered questions. We have to ensure that this model is compatible with the medical education that we are providing to our students," he told PTI.

Elaborating further, Dr Sheth said, "The main unanswered questions are -- how we are going to transit from the state level university examination to the central model. Second is, we want to ensure what difficulty level we are going to set up with this examination."

"Third important question for us is how we will create a positive perception of this examination across stakeholders -- both the faculties as well as the medical students. And in this direction we are working," he said.

Dr Sheth said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has worked in this direction for the last couple of years.

"However, I feel it will take a while to start the NEXT exam. We need consensus amongst all stakeholders and student perspectives regarding any concerns for this examination should be addressed. Fear among students has to be allayed and their confidence level for this exam has to be created. Awareness has to be made that this examination is not going to be difficult for them but it is going to be a fair assessment for them," he said.

"Till we address all these ground level issues and we make sure that it is acceptable to all stakeholders to take this examination comfortably, to run across the country in uniform way it will take a little while. But we certainly support the NEXT examination as a novel concept and eventually we will like to work for it," he said.

On number of medical colleges in the country having increased significantly since 2014 and there being concerns regarding the quality of doctors passing out from these medical colleges, Dr Sheth said both numbers of medical colleges and quality of medical medical education are equally important.

The increase in number is required to bring sustainable quality in the medical education over the long term and to bring uniformity of delivery in the healthcare across the country, he explained.

"At the same time while increasing the number of colleges, we will have to ensure the quality of medical education doesn't get diluted," he said.

Dr Sheth said that NMC has initiated strengthening the process of accreditation to ensure that the bare minimum standards in faculty requirements, infrastructure requirements and in clinical material requirements are met up with, and that will certainly be helpful to escalate the quality.

"Also, we have initiated a process of phydigital model where we are encouraging our institution to adopt a new solution beyond physical education that includes skill and virtual education to address competency based training and digital and e-learning solutions to bring uniformity in medical training across the board," he said.

"At NMC, we strongly believe in innovation, integration and implementation. We are promoting innovative medical practices amongst our stakeholders, and NMC will be very happy to support the new innovative models to adapt into the medical education system," Dr Sheth stated.

Simultaneously, when it comes to integration, Dr Sheth said a lot of clinical material is there with private hospital setups as well as the government hospitals which are not utilised in the NNC program.

"We want to tap this opportunity to integrate these institutions for the medical education purpose, to ensure that we can get better clinical resources for the aspiring medical students. And hence, the integration is very important, and this is the concept which my team would like to take forward, and we are going to stay very strong at the implementation of whatever the reforms are there," he stated.

Registration for AIQ medical intake extended

Registration for AIQ medical intake extended 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK. AHAMEDABAD EDITION

27.07.2025

Ahmedabad : The medical counselling committee (MCC) extended the registration deadline for the first round of admissions under the All-India quota (AIQ) for medical courses. 

Candidates can now register and make payments for the first round of counselling until July 31. As per the revised schedule, the registration process will close at 12pm on July 31, and the payment window will remain open until 3pm on the same day. The choice-filling process must also be completed by 11.55pm on July 31, with the choice-locking window open from 4pm to 11.55pm. The decision to extend the timeline comes in response to requests from students who sought more time to complete the first round of AIQ counselling. 

The MCC issued an official notification outlining the updated schedule. The reset option for registration will be available until 10am on July 31. Following the choicefilling phase, seat processing will be conducted on Aug 1 and 2. The result for the first round of AIQ seat allotment will be declared on Aug 3 and 4, and students will be required to report to the allotted colleges between Aug 4 and Aug 8. 

This extension provides additional time for candidates to participate in the AIQ counselling process, ensuring broader participation and reducing lastminute rush.

MBBS/BDS admission cut-offs may drop by up to 125 marks

MBBS/BDS admission cut-offs may drop by up to 125 marks 

No. of NEET Top Scorers Dips Due To ‘Tough Exam’

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com  26.07.2025

The cut-offs for MBBS/BDS admissions to govt colleges in Tamil Nadu are likely to decrease by up to 125 marks for the open category and between 110 and 115 marks for some reserved categories this year. This is because the number of top scorers in NEET 2025 is lower than that of the previous year. This may not mean that admissions will get easier now, as the selection committee will allot seats based on the order of merit in the eligibility test and 69% rule of reservation. 

The MBBS/BDS rank list for 2025 admissions, released on Friday by health minister Ma Subramanian, had Soorya Narayanan S from Tirunelveli with 665/720 marks in NEET 2025 as its topper. There were 90 students with a score above 700 in 2024, 29 students in 2023, and five in 2022. This year, the “tough question paper” ensured there were just four students with scores above 650 compared to 1,446 in 2024. 

Student counsellor Manicakavel Arumugam said, “Unlike last year, crowding isn’t at the top, but in the middle.” Analysis shows more than 3,800 students are bunched between 500 and 599 marks. What will make admission more competitive is the loss of 50 MBBS seats. While the state did not add any new medical colleges or seats, Subramanian said seats in one of the self-financing medical colleges under TN Dr MGR Medical University, PSP Medical College and Research Institute, which had 150 seats in 2024, will now have only 100. 

Open category seats in govtrun medical colleges, which ended at 1,414th rank in 2023, and a cut-off score of 650, will now have a cut-off of 534-536 marks. The BC cut-off will hover around 504-506, BCM around 500, and MBC will be between 495 and 497. Cutoff for different scheduled categories will be between 350 and 430 marks. The student who was ranked second, Abhineet Nagaraj from Salem, had a score of 655 marks, followed by Hruthik Vijaya Raja K S, who got 653 marks. 

The drop in cut-off was visible in 7.5% quota, where seats were reserved for govt school students. Thirumurthy V from Kallakurichi Govt Model School, the topper, had NEET score of 572, followed by Krishnagiri Govt Model School’s Sathish Kumar M (563) and Madhumitha M (551) of Kallakurichi Govt Model School. Experts say it is difficult to predict the cut-offs for dental seats, as it is not the natural choice for students who don’t get into MBBS. “Many wait to appear for the next year’s eligibility test instead of taking dental seats this year,” said Saranyan K, who offers NEET coaching at a private institute.

 This year, 30% of applicants under govt quota, 21% under the 7.5% quota for govt students, and 35% under the management quota are first-time applicants. Officials say the number of students who make it to any medical college in the first attempt dwindles further. Online and offline counselling will begin on July 30 for govt and management quota seats and for those in special category, the minister said.

THOSE WHO FORGED DOCUMENTS DEBARRED At least 25 candidates who forged their nativity, community, and NRI certificates in their MBBS/BDS applications were debarred for three academic years, and their candidature for 2025 admissions cancelled, minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday. 

The committee will also initiate legal action against them, it said. Selection committee scrutinised more than 70,000 applications. “We are still in process of verification. If more candidates are found to have submitted such documents at any stage of the counselling or admission process, the same action will be taken,” he said. Documents forged included letters from consulates, relationship certificates, and nativity and community certificates.

MBBS tuition fees at deemed univs raised by 200% since 2015

MBBS tuition fees at deemed univs raised by 200% since 2015 

Avg Annual Fee Of ₹30L May Turn Many Away 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.07.2025

Chennai : Deemed universities in the state have increased the course fee for MBBS courses to ₹1.5 crore, with an annual fee of up to ₹30.50 lakh. The yearly hike could turn many aspirants away from pursuing such fields altogether, experts say. 

Since 2015, tuition fees at deemed universities increased by up to 200% from an average annual fee of ₹10 lakh. “While self-financing colleges are forced to follow the fee fixed by fee committee, there are no regulations for deemed universities. After a series of court judgments, it was hoped that the govt would come up with some regulation to cap the fee for all deemed universities. But to no avail,” said Student Counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. 

In 2019, the University Grants Commission (UGC) proposed that a fee committee would fix the fee for all deemed universities. It would also impose a fine of ₹10 lakh along with a refund of the excess fee and penal action if colleges did not comply with the proposals. Parents say in addition to tuition fees, they are asked to pay fees for lab, library, hostel, mess, and other services that can cost an additional ₹2.5 lakh. 

“Students and parents should not just go by the announcement on the webpage. They should read the college prospectus carefully,” said NEET Coach Sathish Kumar R. Most parents are opting for a mix of personal and educational loans, besides drawing money from savings and selling properties. “Fresh graduates are not paid more than ₹40,000 in most hospitals. So, they continue to depend on parents to repay EMI. Students don’t opt for PG unless they ace a govt college,” he added. 

Doctors' bodies, including the state wing of the Indian medical association and the TN govt doctors’ association, say it is because most fields of medicine have many practitioners. To prevent oversupply, it recommended shrinking the incoming freshman medical classes, a ban on adding medical schools, and restrictions on the admission of foreign-trained physicians. 

“TN has more than 1.8 lakh doctors registered in the medical council and among them, at least 1.5 lakh are practising. The recommended ratio of doctors is 1:1000. We have 1 per 600,” said Former State Medical Council President Dr K Senthil, also President of the TN Government Doctors’ Association. With a fertility rate of 1.4, there is a population decline. “In ten years, TN will have 1 doctor for every 350 people because every year 10,000 MBBS graduates and 1,500 foreign medical graduates apply for a medical licence,” he said. 

The southern states must use this as an opportunity to increase PG and super specialty seats, he said. While doctors have opportunities to practice in other states, most doctors say these regions don’t have good schooling and healthcare facilities for their families.

MBBS, BDS merit list to be released on July 25; counselling to begin on July 30

MBBS, BDS merit list to be released on July 25; counselling to begin on July 30

THE HINDU BUREAU CHENNAI. 17.07.2025

The merit list for admission to MBBS and BDS courses will be released on July 25, and the counselling will begin on July 30, as per the schedule of the Medical Counselling Committee - Directorate General of Health Services.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Wednesday said a total of 72,743 applications were received for MBBS and BDS courses from June 6 to 29, and the process of scrutinising the certificates was under way.

“Some of the applicants had not attached certificates along with the applications. Some had failed to attach certificates such as community certificates, birth certificates, and mark sheets while applying. Such students have been given two days’ time to submit the documents,” he said.

While scrutinising certificates, the Selection Committee had identified 20 applicants who had submitted fake certificates. It said some candidates had submitted fake/forged/false documents, leading to cancellation of their candidature. They will not be allowed to participate in the selection process for 2025-2026 under any category. Further, they will not be allowed for Tamil Nadu UG medical admission for the next three academic years, and necessary legal action is being taken. Four candidates had submitted fake NRI embassy certificates; seven had submitted fake nativity certificates; and nine had submitted fake community and nativity certificates.

Mr. Subramanian said the State government would soon add postgraduate medical seats at 13 institutions, including the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital.