Academic paralysis at HIMSR; MBBS, PG seats withdrawn, 37 faculty resign leaving students in limbo

Hundreds of MBBS and PG medical students at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), New Delhi, admitted through NEET counselling, are facing academic uncertainty following faculty resignations, seat withdrawals, and repeated exam postponements due to an ongoing governance dispute within the institution.

In a letter to the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Delhi government, and Jamia Hamdard University, the Democratic Medical Association (DMA India) alleged that the prolonged administrative failures have led to “academic paralysis”.

“Despite students securing admission through the NEET counselling process in full compliance with statutory norms, they continue to face prolonged uncertainty, repeated academic disruptions, and administrative paralysis due to an internal governance dispute within the Hamdard National Foundation, over which students have no control,” the letter read.

37 HIMSR faculty resigns

According to the DMA, routine academic functioning at HIMSR has been repeatedly disrupted since mid-2024, with nearly 37 faculty members resigning over the past year. The resignations, it said, have affected teaching schedules, clinical exposure, and patient care.

“Ongoing litigation repeatedly stalled decision-making, creating fear and uncertainty among students and faculty,” it said, adding that “medical education-particularly MBBS and postgraduate training-cannot function under such instability without causing irreparable harm to students' education and training.

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150 MBBS seats withdrawn

The crisis escalated in September 2025, when 150 MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic year, along with PG seats, were withdrawn after the institution failed to secure the mandatory Consent of Affiliation (CoA) under NMC regulations.

The DMA said the withdrawal of seats had further eroded academic continuity and institutional credibility, even as existing students remained enrolled.

“Students, who are neither parties to nor beneficiaries of the dispute, are now bearing the heaviest burden,” it said.

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Exam postponed, timelines unclear

From October 2025 onwards, exams at HIMSR have been repeatedly postponed, with no clear timelines for completion, results, or academic progression, it alleged. This uncertainty has caused “extreme mental stress and anxiety” among students regarding their future careers and licensing..

“Medical students cannot be treated as collateral damage in internal power struggles,” the association said, calling the situation “non-negotiable” for regulatory intervention.

“The students of HIMSR have fulfilled every legal, academic, and regulatory obligation expected of them. They deserve certainty, stability, and protection, not prolonged distress caused by disputes beyond their control,” it said.

Recently, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has notified the addition of 49 PG seats to the HIMSR seat matrix, following a Supreme Court order in Asad Mueed & Ors vs Jamia Hamdard Deemed to be University & Ors.