‘Academic apartheid’: Non-doctors denounce NMCs’ new rules for medical faculty recruitment

NEW DELHI: The ‘non-medical’ teachers at medical colleges have come out against the proposed new medical faculty eligibility rules which make their appointment contingent on the unavailability of post-graduate doctors and introduce some new criteria for their hiring.

While the draft Teacher Eligibility Qualifications in Medical Institutions Regulations 2024, released last week by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for public feedback, continues to allow ‘non-medical’ postgraduates to teach anatomy, physiology and biochemistry at medical colleges, they restrict their appointment to a “transitional” period, when a sufficient quantity of qualified teaching candidates for the respective subjects are not available. The proposed rules also require them to acquire MSc as well as PhD in their subject.

These faculty, who have been teaching these three subjects as well as microbiology and pharmacology at medical colleges, said that the new norms would create a job security crisis as the ‘undefined’ transition period will create widespread uncertainty. This could lead to the potential displacement of currently employed teachers and risk sudden loss of livelihood for thousands of families

“For more than five decades, Medical M.Sc and PhD qualified professionals have been the backbone of medical education in non-clinical subjects including anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and pharmacology. Despite this long-standing contribution, the new regulations appear designed to systematically exclude these qualified professionals from medical education,” reads a statement from the National MSc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA).

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NMC Regulations: Against ‘non-medical teachers’ term

The body also objects to their characterisation as ‘non-medical’ teachers, pointing out that they have also studied in medical colleges and the nomenclature of their master’s programme includes the term ‘medical’.

While the 1998 regulations on teachers' qualification, which were in force until 2022, allowed for up to 30% non-medical teachers in anatomy, microbiology, pharmacology and physiology departments and a maximum of 50% faculty in biochemistry department, a 2020 regulation brought the proportion down to 15% for anatomy, physiology and biochemistry, with no provision at all for MSc and PhD holders in pharmacology and microbiology departments.

These teachers believe that the proposed norms create a ‘hierarchical discrimination’ in medical colleges by prohibiting ‘non-medical’ faculty from heading academic departments despite decades of teaching and administrative experience. This, they say, will lead to the systematic marginalisation of MSc and PhD qualified teachers.

"These regulations represent an unprecedented assault on the dignity and job security of thousands of qualified medical teachers. While countries like the United States recognise and value our expertise, with non-medical qualified faculty forming the majority in their medical colleges, these regulations seek to eliminate our role entirely," said Arjun Maitra, NMMTA President.

The faculty also questioned the timing of the publication of draft rules, pointing out that a plea filed by the association is pending before the Supreme Court. "The medical education system in India stands at a crucial juncture. These regulations, if implemented, will undo decades of progress and contribution made by Medical MSc qualified teachers," said Ayan Das, secretary of the organisation.