MENTAL ILLNESS NO LONGER A BARRIER FOR MBBS COURSE': NATIONAL MEDICAL COUNCIL TO SC

The National Medical Commission (NMC) informed the Supreme Court recently that a diagnosis of mental illness should no longer be a barrier to pursuing an MBBS course. It held that such aspirants may be considered for quota benefits in the future once more refined methods of disability assessment are established.

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The NMC, responsible for regulating medical education in India, was instructed by the Supreme Court on May 18 to establish a panel of domain experts to review a request for developing new modes of disability assessment for students with mental illnesses, special learning disorders, and autism spectrum disorders to grant quotas for admission to the MBBS course.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra acknowledged the arguments presented by lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal, representing an MBBS aspirant. Bansal highlighted that several countries not only permit individuals with mental illnesses to pursue medical education but also grant them reservation in admissions.

The Top Court granted Bansal permission to amend the petition to challenge the NMC's latest guidelines regarding the admission of individuals with mental illnesses to the MBBS course. The guidelines currently do not provide quota benefits under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.