IIT Kharagpur to launch first MD programme after NMC approval; MBBS on hold

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is preparing to introduce its first Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme after securing approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC). The move marks the institute’s formal entry into postgraduate medical education.

The institute’s proposal for the MD course has already been cleared by its Board of Governors. Officials told The Times of India that all paperwork for the new programme has been completed, and the institute will submit its application to the NMC once the registration portal becomes active.

According to The Times of India, IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said that the institute’s pool of healthcare researchers and practising medical professionals provides a suitable foundation for launching the programme. He noted that this initiative would help strengthen work in areas connecting medical science and technology.

“Considering the availability of doctors, medical experts, and specialists in healthcare technology research at IIT Kharagpur, a postgraduate medical programme would be an appropriate step for the institute,” Chakraborty told a media organisation.

Seat intake and training locations

An institute official said the MD programme will likely have 20 seats, with training provided at the Dr BC Roy Medical College, named after Bengal’s first chief minister, who donated the land for India’s first IIT.

The students will receive clinical training at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SPMSH), located next to the IIT Kharagpur campus. The SPMSH operates as part of the institute, while its hospital functions independently.

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Expansion of inpatient facilities

In recent months, the hospital has added inpatient facilities alongside its outpatient services. Chakraborty said that this expansion was an essential step in supporting the MD course.

As reported by The Times of India, the hospital recently performed its first surgical procedure at its new operating theatre. The team, led by senior surgeon Dr RK Behera, carried out an emergency surgery to remove a foreign object, and the patient was discharged the same day.

“With the operation theatre now functional, the Syama Prasad hospital is set to expand towards a 220-bed Mission Mode IPD hospital, providing world-class healthcare to students, faculty, staff, and the wider community,” the institute said in a statement.

MBBS programme deferred

Meanwhile, IIT Kharagpur’s earlier plan to offer an undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course remains deferred due to infrastructure limitations.

Last year, the institute announced that it plans to start the MBBS course from 2024 at the BC Roy Institute of Medical Science and Technology, combining medical education with engineering and technology. The first batch was expected to have 100 seats, subject to approvals from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the National Medical Commission.