IIT Kharagpur launches NMC-accredited MD courses, 12 seats in 6 specialities

By TUF News Desk · Published 12 November 2026 · 3 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

An engineering institute is about to train doctors. The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur will admit its first MD students in the 2026-27 academic session, after becoming the first IIT in the country to run postgraduate medical programmes approved by the National Medical Commission.

The courses will run at the Dr B C Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre on the Kharagpur campus. Kharagpur is the oldest IIT in the country, and this is the first time any IIT has moved into postgraduate medical education.

12 seats across six specialities

The first batch is small on purpose. Twelve seats are on offer, two in each of six subjects: General Medicine, Radiology, Physiology, Pathology, Community Medicine and Biochemistry. That makes the inaugural cohort the first generation of postgraduate medical students anywhere in the IIT system.

Admission will run through NEET PG 2026 Round 2 counselling, conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee. The new programmes are in the Round 2 seat matrix, so candidates who have already registered can add them while filling choices. NEET PG Round 2 registration closes at 3 pm on November 14, choice filling runs till November 15, and the final allotment result is due on November 17. Candidates should check the seat matrix and notices on the official MCC PG counselling portal before locking choices.

Why medicine at an IIT

Kharagpur’s argument is that an engineering campus can train a different kind of doctor. The institute wants clinical training to sit next to engineering, artificial intelligence and research that moves from the laboratory to the patient. The idea is that problems seen in a hospital ward can push new technology, and scientific work can reach patients as usable treatment.

Director Suman Chakraborty said the aim is to train doctors who are also innovators, graduates who can use engineering and research to work on healthcare problems that have no easy answers. He called the first batch pioneers of a new journey for the institute.

For NEET PG candidates, the new seats add an unusual option in Round 2: a medical degree from an IIT campus, with research laboratories and engineering departments next door. The test will be whether that mix produces doctors who work differently. Choice filling for Round 2 closes on November 15, so candidates weighing the new programmes need to decide soon. Our admission documents checklist covers what counselling portals usually ask candidates to keep ready.

Frequently asked questions

How many MD seats has IIT Kharagpur opened, and in which subjects?

Twelve seats in total, two each in General Medicine, Radiology, Physiology, Pathology, Community Medicine and Biochemistry. The courses start in the 2026-27 academic session.

How can I apply for the IIT Kharagpur MD programmes?

Through NEET PG 2026 Round 2 counselling on the MCC portal. Registration closes at 3 pm on November 14, and choice filling runs till November 15.

Is IIT Kharagpur the first IIT to offer medical degrees?

Yes. It is the first IIT in the country to run postgraduate medical programmes accredited by the National Medical Commission. The courses will run at the Dr B C Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre.

When will the NEET PG Round 2 allotment result be declared?

The final allotment result is due on November 17, 2026, as per the MCC schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Times Now, The Siasat Daily, Mathrubhumi