Centre and MCI approve two-year PG courses after MBBS

A gazette notification was issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, introducing post-graduate diploma courses in eight medical specialties under the National Board of Examinations on August 6

Students who have taken admission in the MD course in the Philippines prior to the FMGL Regulations 2021 can be considered, subject to fulfilling other prevailing eligibility criteria for registration. File.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the acute shortage of specialists in rural healthcare centres across the country. In a move that is being hailed by medical experts as a “radical reform” in the field of higher medical education, the central government and the Medical Council of India (MCI) have given the go-ahead for launching post-graduate diploma courses that can be undertaken after completing MBBS.

A gazette notification was issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, introducing post-graduate diploma courses in eight medical specialties under the National Board of Examinations on August 6. On Thursday, medical experts from across the country participated in a webinar and welcomed the move, with noted cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty terming it a “radical reform”.

According to the regulations, these structured training programmes can be run by any well-equipped public or private hospital, which has over 100 beds and senior medical specialists among its staff. The diploma two-year courses are in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Anaesthesiology, Tuberculosis and Chest Disease, Radio Diagnosis, Family Medicine, Ophthalmology and ENT.

Read | Top medical colleges in India list

“Launching of diploma courses in eight broad specialties is the most radical reform and now the ball is in the court of state governments to apply for PG seats,” said Dr Shetty. He pointed out that the need for more post-graduate seats has been felt as every year, approximately 1,70,000 doctors write the NEET post-graduate exam to apply for about 50,000 post-graduate seats under the Medical Council of India and the National Board of Examinations (this includes 15,000 non-clinical seats).

This means annually, the remaining 1,20,000 doctors who do not get one of these seats will not return to clinical work. They may waste two to five years attending coaching classes and in the end, some may even give up on becoming doctors. Adding a few thousand seats in post-graduate diploma courses will immediately bring these doctors back to patient care in accredited government or private hospitals.

In a country with 1.3 billion people, there are only 40,000 anaesthesiologists, 10,500 radiologists and less than 40,000 paediatricians. “Introduction of diploma two-year PG courses makes me optimistic that we can pull back at least 30,000 to 40,000 doctors in the mainstream to treat patients,” said Dr Shetty.

These diplomas will make an impactful difference to tackle the shortage of doctors in these specialities, especially in rural India, said Dr Alexander Thomas, president of the Association of National Board of Accredited Institutions.

Story continues below this ad

Dr Giridhar Gyani, director general of the Association of Health Care Providers of India, which has over 10,000 hospitals as its members, said most public hospitals, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 towns, suffer an 80 per cent shortage in the availability of medical specialists. If those hospitals introduce diploma training courses in all these specialities, the shortage of medical specialists can be completely compensated in two to four years, he pointed out.

Dr Pawananindra Lal, executive director of the National Board of Examinations, said they discovered a space to introduce these diploma courses. It is an attractive alternative for bright young doctors from poor families, because the diploma course is available at a nominal cost, and they earn a stipend during the programme which can be used to support their families, said experts.

No large and busy hospital today can function efficiently without post-graduate students managing patient care. These youngsters are on the frontline, taking care of sick patients with guidance from their seniors. When taluka and district hospitals become vibrant post-graduate training institutions attracting passionate young doctors, the quality of healthcare in small towns will undergo a dramatic transformation, said experts.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More