NMC Proposes Extending MBBS Completion To 10 Years; First Year To Be Cleared Within 4 Attempts | Education and Career News
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MBBS Admissions: If a student fails to clear the first year within the four chances, their admission to the medical college will be permanently cancelled.
Student also have to finish a compulsory 1-year medical internship. (File Photo/Representative)
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed extending the maximum time allowed to complete the MBBS course. As per the new draft of the ‘Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2026’ issued by the NMC, medical students will now have up to 10 years to finish their MBBS degree along with the mandatory rotatory medical internship. This decision offers relief to students whose studies were disrupted due to serious illness, family emergencies, or academic setbacks.
This time limit had been reduced to 9 years under the 2023 regulations, but now, after nearly three years, the NMC is restoring it to 10 years. However, alongside this relief, the NMC has clearly stated that it will not dilute the quality or standards of medical education. Therefore, even though one additional year is being allowed to complete the MBBS course, stringent rules for the first-year MBBS examination remain unchanged. Here are the key points of the new NMC draft and its implications for medical students.
MBBS to be completed in 10 years instead of 9
According to a gazette notification issued by NMC Secretary Dr. Raghav Langer, no student will be permitted to pursue the MBBS course for more than 10 years from the date of admission. Within these 10 years, students must complete 4.5 years of core academic study and a compulsory 1-year medical internship. Under the earlier GMER 2023 regulations, this limit was 9 years, but it has now been extended by one year to address practical challenges.
Despite extending the overall duration by one year, the NMC has not eased the rules for clearing the first year of MBBS. The new draft explicitly states that students will have a maximum of four attempts to pass the first-year examination. If a student fails to clear the first year within these four chances, their admission to the medical college will be permanently cancelled. Even to benefit from the extended 10-year period, crossing the first-year is mandatory.
The amendment also includes an important clarification. MBBS students often assume that the time limit is calculated from the date of counselling or admission to the college. However, according to the new proposal, the 10-year period will be counted from the day the student officially starts attending classes for the “First MBBS” course. The countdown for the 10-year limit will begin from that date.
Why was this change introduced?
Medical experts and academics believe that this move will primarily help students who face unforeseen accidents, or mental or physical health issues during their studies. Additionally, it is expected to discourage the practice of students intentionally delaying or postponing their mandatory internship for several months in order to prepare for postgraduate entrance exams (NEET PG / NEXT).
Suggestions invited till 27 June 2026
The NMC has released this draft notification in the public domain and has invited suggestions and objections from medical colleges, principals, students, and parents. A 30-day period has been provided for submitting feedback on the proposal, up to 27 June 2026. Only after examining the responses received during this period will the 10-year rule be finalised and formally enforced across the country.
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