NMC drafts rule to give MBBS students 10 years to complete course

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a key amendment to the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which could give MBBS students an additional year to complete their undergraduate medical education. The draft notification, titled Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, has been placed in the public domain for comments and objections.

Under the existing regulations, students are required to complete the MBBS programme within nine years from the date of admission. The proposed amendment seeks to extend this limit to 10 years, including the compulsory rotating medical internship.

According to the draft notification, the provision regarding attempts in the first professional MBBS examination will remain unchanged. Students will continue to be allowed a maximum of four attempts to clear the First Professional MBBS examination.

Proposed amendment to MBBS course duration

The amendment specifically modifies a provision under Chapter V of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023. At present, the regulation states that no student can continue the undergraduate medical course after completing nine years from the date of admission.

If approved, the revised clause will permit students to remain enrolled in the MBBS programme for up to 10 years from the date of joining the first MBBS course. The extended duration will also cover the period required for completion of the compulsory rotating medical internship.

The official notice reads, “The National Medical Commission proposes certain amendments to Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023. The draft regulation amending the regulation in the proviso to clause 21 of Chapter V has been prepared and approved by the competent authority following due procedure and is hereby published for information of all stakeholders likely to be affected thereby and notice is hereby given that the said draft Regulation (amendment) shall be taken into consideration on or after the expiry of a period of 30 days from the date on which the copies of the Gazette of India containing these draft Regulation (amendment) are made available to the public."

Public comments invited for 30 days

The commission has invited suggestions and objections from students, medical colleges, faculty members and other stakeholders. Interested individuals can submit their comments within 30 days from the date the notification is made available to the public.

As per the notice, feedback can be sent to the Deputy Secretary (UGMEB), National Medical Commission, or submitted through the designated email address mentioned in the notification. The NMC clarified that only responses received through the prescribed email channel will be considered.

After reviewing the feedback, the commission will take a final decision on whether to incorporate the proposed amendment into the Graduate Medical Education Regulations. If implemented, the change could provide additional flexibility for MBBS students who face academic delays or other circumstances that affect the timely completion of their course.