NMC to Phase Out PG Diploma Medical Courses; Over 3,300 Seats to Convert to MD, MS

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced that postgraduate (PG) diploma medical courses will be discontinued across the country, marking a significant shift in specialist medical education. The 2026-27 academic session will be the final year for admissions to PG diploma programmes, after which no fresh admissions will be permitted.

In an official notification, the commission stated that admissions to postgraduate diploma courses will cease from the 2027-28 academic year, paving the way for a complete transition to MD and MS degree programmes for specialist medical training.

Postgraduate diploma courses have long served as an alternative pathway for doctors seeking specialist qualifications in various medical disciplines. However, the NMC has decided to move towards a degree-based system, with MD and MS programmes becoming the sole route for postgraduate specialist education.

The commission said the move is aimed at creating a more uniform and standardised framework for postgraduate medical training while enhancing academic standards across institutions.

According to the NMC, many medical colleges already possess the infrastructure, faculty strength, patient load and clinical facilities necessary to offer MD and MS programmes. As a result, the transition from diploma courses to degree programmes is expected to be feasible for a large number of institutions.

To facilitate a smooth transition, medical colleges currently offering diploma courses will be permitted to convert existing diploma seats into corresponding MD or MS seats.

The conversion process will be overseen by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), a regulatory body under the NMC. Institutions seeking conversion will be required to submit applications through an online system.

The commission has indicated that a dedicated application portal and detailed schedule for the conversion process will be announced separately.

Officials believe the move will enable colleges to utilise existing resources more effectively while expanding access to degree-level specialist training.

The latest decision builds on provisions already included in the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023.

Under these regulations, medical colleges were allowed to apply for the conversion of diploma seats into degree seats. The rules also specified that proposals for starting new diploma courses or increasing existing diploma seats would not be considered.

With the latest notification, the NMC has now established a clear timeline for the complete phase-out of postgraduate diploma admissions.

The commission has clarified that the 2026-27 academic session will be the final admission cycle for PG diploma programmes. From the 2027-28 academic year onwards, admissions to such courses will no longer be permitted anywhere in the country.

The decision marks the end of a long-standing component of India's medical education system and signals a move towards a fully degree-oriented postgraduate training structure.

Once implemented, all postgraduate specialist medical education in India will be conducted through MD and MS degree programmes. The NMC believes the reform will bring greater uniformity in postgraduate medical qualifications and strengthen the quality of specialist training.

As medical colleges begin preparing for the transition, the policy is expected to reshape the future of postgraduate medical education and influence how upcoming generations of doctors pursue specialist training in the years ahead.