New Delhi: With the NEET PG 2025 counselling to start very soon, the National Medical Commission (NMC) is yet to release Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or revised disability assessment guidelines for postgraduate medical aspirants with disabilities.
The NMC has yet to finalise a comprehensive SOP specifically tailored for NEET PG applicants with disabilities, creating uncertainty among aspirants.
Although interim guidelines were introduced for MBBS admissions earlier this year, shifting the focus toward functional ability rather than outright disqualification, they remain insufficient and fail to align fully with Supreme Court directives.
The advocacy group Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change, representing doctors with disabilities across India, has petitioned both the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of NMC and the Union Health Ministry.
Join NEET PG News 2025 They stress that without new, inclusive SOPs, many applicants, especially those with dyslexia or physical impairments, will continue to face arbitrary and outdated assessments.
Key Demands from the Advocacy Group
- Release SOPs: The group demands that NMC produce guidelines in clear compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders, prioritising functional competence over numerical disability percentages.
- Expand Assessment Centres: With only 16 designated disability assessment centres across 11 states, many candidates must travel long distances. The group insists that at least one medical board be established in each state or union territory.
- Transparency and Training: They demand that the training schedules for all 16 Disability Assessment Boards (DABs) be released, with sessions conducted by professionals, including doctors with disabilities. Additionally, the names of doctors with disabilities serving on these boards should be publicly disclosed.
- Appellate Medical Body: A fully operational Appellate Medical Body under the DGHS should be constituted in line with the Supreme Court orders.
- Infrastructure and Accommodation Policies: All medical colleges should activate and display details of Enabling Units, accessible infrastructure, reasonable accommodations, and Equal Opportunity policies on their official websites.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
Dr. Satendra Singh, who himself uses crutches, has been vocally critical of the outdated guidelines.
He highlights the incongruity of forcing MBBS graduates with dyslexia to undergo assessments designed for children and calls for functional competence tests instead.
He also points out the restrictive “both hands functional” criterion from 2019, noting that such rigid norms fail to account for non-surgical specialisations and unfairly obstruct access.
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The Supreme Court has already emphasised the need for sensitisation of Disability Assessment Boards and inclusion of doctors with disabilities on these panels, measures still pending implementation.
Experts warn that persisting with the current interim measures may violate the constitutional rights of persons with disabilities and expose NMC to contempt proceedings.
The NEET-PG counselling process is expected to begin on 29 August.
There is an urgent need for transparency, inclusivity, and legal compliance in India’s medical admissions process, as advocacy groups continue their push for systemic reform before NEET PG 2025 counselling starts.
