IIT Kharagpur Seeks NMC Approval to Launch MD Course With 20 Seats

In a massive leap that blurs the lines between engineering and clinical medicine, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is officially stepping into mainstream medical education.  

As confirmed by Institute Director Suman Chakraborty earlier this week, IIT Kharagpur has formally submitted its application to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to launch a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme. If approved, it will become the first IIT in the country to offer a clinical postgraduate medical degree.

The MD Programme Details

According to the proposal, the institute plans to start the MD course with an initial intake of 20 seats, admitting students strictly through the NEET-PG examination.  

To support the launch, the institute has already appointed 20 specialized doctors as faculty. Academic training will take place at the Dr. B.C. Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre, located right on the IIT campus. For crucial hands-on clinical exposure, students will be trained at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Super-Speciality Hospital, which is currently undergoing a mission-mode expansion into a 220-bed inpatient facility with fully functional operation theatres.  

What About the MBBS Plan?

While IIT Kharagpur had previously announced ambitious plans to start an undergraduate MBBS course with 100 seats, that initiative has been officially put on hold. Officials cited that building the massive infrastructure required for undergraduate medical training will take more time, prompting the institute to focus on technology-empowered postgraduate education first.  

The institute is now awaiting the NMC’s infrastructure assessment and inter-ministerial clearances before finalizing the launch date.