Controversy Over Non-Medical Faculty Limits in Medical Education

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Central government regarding a plea challenging an amendment that raises the permissible limit of non-medical faculty for teaching Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Pharmacology to MBBS students. Critics claim this change undermines the standards of medical education.

The petition, presented before Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, seeks to annul parts of the Teachers Eligibility Qualifications in Medical Institutions Regulations, 2025. Additionally, it contests a notification by the National Medical Commission (NMC) dated July 2, asserting that it could lead to a degradation of educational quality.

The plea emphasizes that allowing individuals without an MBBS degree and clinical experience to teach future doctors contravenes the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum. The court plans to deliberate on the issue in September.

(With inputs from agencies.)