In a major breakthrough for medical education, the National Medical Commission (NMC), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has reinstated the 30% faculty quota for medical MSc/PhD holders in non-clinical subjects.
This significant policy decision, formalised through the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025 issued on 30th June 2025 and the Amendment Notification dated 2nd July 2025, marks the restoration of eligibility for teaching positions in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Microbiology.
The change reverses the restrictive Medical Standard Requirements (MSR) 2020, which had severely impacted the careers and livelihoods of non-medical teachers, exacerbating faculty shortages across India.
Dr Arjun Maitra, President of the National M.Sc. Medical Teachers’ Association (NMMTA) emphasised that this reform brings relief to hundreds of highly qualified MSc/PhD faculty members who had been unfairly sidelined under the 2020 MSR guidelines, which severely restricted their eligibility for teaching positions in non-clinical subjects.
Dr Ayan Das, Secretary of NMMTA, acknowledged the positive step but pointed out that unresolved issues remain. He stressed the need to clearly define the “transition period” to avoid ambiguity and anxiety among current faculty. He also highlighted the inconsistency in entry-level qualifications, where tutors require only an MBBS degree, while demonstrators must possess both MSc and Ph.D. qualifications—an unfair discrepancy that must be rationalised. Additionally, he called for the correction of misinterpretations related to UGC norms, emphasising that only distance-mode PhD degrees are invalid, not part-time PhDs obtained during in-service academic work.
Dr Shridhar Rao, Founder of NMMTA, expressed concern over the continued exclusion of MSc/PhD faculty members from Head of Department (HOD) roles, despite their experience and academic contributions.
