NEW DELHI: Students with benchmark disabilities seeking admission to MBBS courses will now undergo an individual assessment of their functional abilities to determine whether they can acquire the essential competencies required for the course with reasonable accommodation. The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Monday issued new guidelines requiring medical boards to evaluate each candidate’s functional ability rather than relying solely on the type or extent of disability.Under the new framework, designated Medical Assessment Boards will carry out an individual assessment of every candidate. The guidelines state that applicants cannot be declared ineligible solely on the basis of their diagnosis or the percentage of benchmark disability. Instead, boards must assess a candidate’s functional abilities, the essential competencies required under the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum, and whether reasonable accommodation can enable them to complete the course.“After the Supreme Court’s constant follow-up and directions, the NMC has finally amended its interim guidelines and issued revised guidelines for MBBS admissions of students with disabilities. The biggest change is the shift from assessing eligibility on the basis of the percentage of disability to evaluating functional competency. Clinical accommodations are reasonable modifications that enable medical students with benchmark disability to participate in clinical training and patient care without compromising academic standards or patient safety,” said Prof Satendra Singh, Coordinator of the Enabling Unit at UCMS and GTB Hospital.The guidelines also require medical boards to consider assistive devices, adaptive technology, communication support and other reasonable accommodations before arriving at a decision. Any finding of ineligibility must be supported by objective medical and functional evidence and recorded in writing.While emphasising inclusion, the NMC has said patient safety will remain an important consideration. However, it has directed that decisions should be based on objective medical and functional assessment rather than assumptions or stereotypes about disability.The regulator has also introduced a uniform assessment process, standard eligibility certificates and an appeal mechanism for candidates aggrieved by the decision of the Medical Assessment Board. The guidelines have been issued under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, read with the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, and come into force with immediate effect.
