NMC proposes 3-year rotatory headship for departments in medical colleges
Suggesting draft amendments to the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, the NMC has also proposed including MS as a feeder broad specialty qualification for several super-specialty courses, such as MCh in Neurosurgery, MCh in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and other MCh programmes.
The draft amendments have been published in the official gazette on May 30 and the NMC has invited feedback from stakeholders such as from students, faculty, and the medical community on the changes.
Under the existing 2023 regulations, each department is led by a professor appointed as the head of department .
"The post of the Head of Department will be rotated every three-years amongst professors and associate professors who hold medical postgraduate degree, based on seniority in the department," the NMC said in the proposal.
This proposal comes amid demands from faculty associations of several medical colleges and academic bodies for more equitable administrative structures. This move aims to bring in fairness and provide opportunities for younger and qualified faculty to take on leadership roles.
In April, the Faculty Association of AIIMS , Delhi, and the Faculty Association of PGI Chandigarh had jointly expressed deep concern over the continued delay in implementing the long-standing policy of rotatory headship in these premier institutions.
A General Body Meeting of FAIMS was held on April 16 followed by the General Body Meeting of the PGI Chandigarh Faculty Association on April 17.
"Both the bodies unanimously voiced that the rotatory headship system, along with the collegium system, is essential for promoting a fair, transparent, and democratic governance structure within their institutions," the two bodies had said in a joint statement.
In 2023, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formally communicated that the rotatory headship policy would be implemented in AIIMS, Delhi and PGI Chandigarh from June 2024.
Despite this, no tangible steps have been taken towards its enforcement, even after the lapse of almost a year and repeated representations by faculty bodies, the joint statement had said.
The regulations, if approved, will be called the 'Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations , 2025'.
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