The National Medical Commission (NMC) has notified a new set of guidelines governing how candidates with benchmark disabilities are assessed for admission to the MBBS course, marking a shift away from disability percentage as the deciding factor for eligibility.
The Guidelines on Assessment of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), issued by the NMC’s Undergraduate Medical Education Board, direct designated Medical Assessment Boards to evaluate whether a candidate can actually perform the functional competencies required to practise medicine, rather than relying solely on the percentage of disability recorded on a candidate’s Unique Disability Identity (UDID) Card.
A Shift Toward Functional Assessment
Under the earlier system, candidates seeking admission under the PwBD category were often assessed largely on the disability percentage listed on their certificates. The new guidelines direct assessment boards to instead consider a candidate’s ability to acquire essential medical skills with the help of assistive devices, reasonable accommodation and advances in rehabilitation science.
A benchmark disability of at least 40 percent, as prescribed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, remains the threshold for reservation under the PwBD category. However, the certificate issued after evaluation will now be called an “Eligibility Certificate,” reflecting its purpose of certifying a candidate’s fitness for the course rather than merely recording the extent of disability.
The NMC has also expanded the number of designated assessment centres under the Directorate General of Health Services from 16 to 61 across the country, in an effort to make the process more accessible.
Key highlights of the new guidelines:
- Eligibility will now be based on a candidate’s functional competency, not disability percentage alone.
- The minimum benchmark disability for PwBD category reservation remains 40 percent.
- The certificate issued after assessment is now called an “Eligibility Certificate.”
- Designated assessment centres have been expanded from 16 to 61 across India.
- Candidates must submit a self-certified affidavit along with a valid Permanent UDID Card.
- Candidates will be classified as Eligible, Eligible with Reasonable Accommodation, or Ineligible.
Safeguards Against Blanket Rejection
The guidelines make clear that no candidate can be turned away solely because of their diagnosis, disability category or the percentage recorded on their UDID Card. An assessment board can declare a candidate ineligible only where it records specific written reasons showing that essential medical competencies cannot be acquired even with reasonable accommodation, or that the disability poses a risk to patient safety that cannot be addressed through accommodation.
Candidates who are unhappy with an assessment board’s decision have been given the right to appeal before an Appellate Authority constituted by the Directorate General of Health Services.
Safeguards built into the process:
- No candidate can be declared ineligible solely on the basis of diagnosis, disability category, or UDID percentage.
- Ineligibility can only be recorded through a written, reasoned order.
- Candidates can appeal an assessment board’s decision before the DGHS Appellate Authority.
Colleges Directed to Set Up Support Units
In a related move, the NMC has also directed all medical colleges under its regulation to set up an “Enabling Unit” to serve as a single point of contact for students with disabilities, citing obligations under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and recent court directions. These units are expected to help arrange reasonable accommodation, coordinate with assessment boards and faculty, and address concerns raised by disabled students during their course, including clinical training.
What Enabling Units are expected to do:
- Act as a single point of contact for students with benchmark disabilities.
- Facilitate reasonable accommodation and barrier-free access within the institution.
- Coordinate with assessment boards, faculty and hospital administration.
- Address accommodation requests during clinical training and internship.
- Maintain records of requests and accommodations while ensuring confidentiality.
The new framework will apply to NEET UG 2026 counselling, where PwBD candidates will be required to undergo functional evaluation at one of the newly expanded assessment centres before admission is finalised.
