NMC updates disability assessment norms for MBBS admissions, expands testing centres

The National Medical Commission has issued new guidelines for assessing candidates with benchmark disabilities seeking admission to the MBBS course, renaming the disability certificate an "eligibility certificate" and expanding assessment centres from 16 to 61.

The guidelines, notified by the National Medical Commission’s undergraduate medical education board also introduce a competency-based framework that factors in reasonable accommodation.

The certificate issued by medical assessment boards for MBBS admissions will now be called an eligibility certificate, since it certifies whether a candidate qualifies for admission based on functional ability rather than simply the presence or extent of a disability, the guidelines said.

Under the new framework, eligibility will no longer be determined solely by the disability percentage or category listed on a candidate's UDID card or other certification, the NMC said.

Benchmark disability under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, will still determine eligibility for reservation but MBBS admission will be based on an objective evaluation of a candidate's functional abilities, taking into account reasonable accommodation, assistive technology, accessibility measures and advances in rehabilitation science.

Before ruling a candidate ineligible, the assessment boards must examine whether assistive technology, adaptive devices or infrastructural support could allow the candidate to complete the MBBS course without compromising required competencies, the document states.

Providing such accommodation does not lower academic standards but ensures equal opportunity for candidates with benchmark disabilities, the guidelines states. Accommodations may include assistive devices, digital accessibility tools, accessible teaching materials, communication support, ergonomic modifications, and accessible clinical learning environments.

To apply under the PwBD category, candidates must have a benchmark disability of at least 40 percent under the 2016 disabilities act, hold a valid Permanent Unique Disability Identity card, and submit a self-certified affidavit on their functional abilities, which will be verified during assessment.

The guidelines also establish an appeal process before the authority to set up the health services directorate for candidates who disagree with assessment board findings. Medical colleges have been directed to ensure barrier-free access, appoint nodal officers to assist PwBD candidates, and set up time-bound grievance redressal systems.

The NMC said the 2026 guidelines replace all previous guidance on disability assessment for MBBS admissions.

(With inputs from PTI