IIT Kharagpur plans 20-seat MD programme for 2027, awaits NMC nod
By TUF News Desk · Published 25 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
A National Medical Commission team visited IIT Kharagpur before Durga Puja, and the institute now expects a decision soon. Director Suman Chakraborty said it has applied for a 20-seat postgraduate MD programme and hopes to start it in 2027, if permission comes through.
If approved, it would be the first postgraduate medical programme at an IIT, according to the institute.
What the institute has asked for
The application, filed earlier this year, seeks approval for 20 seats across six specialities. Five of the specialities named in the report are general medicine, radiology, pathology, physiology and community medicine. The institute has appointed 20 doctors to teach on the programme, and candidates will be selected through NEET.
The institute has also set up a faculty of integrated health science and technology, with a dean of medical science to oversee the course. The dean was present during the visit, and the team was briefed on the faculty, created because medicine and technology now overlap so much in hospital work.
For now, the key point for aspirants is what has not happened yet. The NMC has not granted permission, and the institute has not announced application dates, eligibility rules or fees. Anyone offering a seat or collecting money for this programme before an official announcement should be treated with caution. The only safe place to check is the official IIT Kharagpur website, along with the National Medical Commission website for the status of approved courses.
Where students would study
Teaching is planned at Dr B.C. Roy Medical College on campus, inspected by the NMC team. Clinical training would take place at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Institute of Medical Science and Research, a hospital the institute developed at Balarampur on the campus edge.
Chakraborty said a medical programme needs a medical college backed by a hospital, and Kharagpur has both. The hospital performed its first surgery last September, a sign its clinical side is already running.
Students comparing a new programme with older colleges should ask about seats per speciality, faculty strength and hospital caseload, questions our guide on how to choose a university in India sets out.
A long road to medical teaching
This is not the institute’s first attempt at medical education. On May 17, 2007, then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam laid the foundation stone of the Dr B.C. Roy Multi-Speciality Medical Research Centre, with an MBBS college and a superspeciality hospital in mind. That undergraduate plan is still on hold, apparently because of infrastructure constraints.
At the July 4 convocation, the West Bengal health minister urged the institute to launch an MBBS programme and offered state support. An official said its main focus remains engineering, and an MBBS course would take time to consider.
The decision is not the institute’s alone. The proposal went before its board of governors in September 2025. The Ministry of Education has backed it, but the final call rests with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
For medical graduates following the story, the next steps are the NMC decision, then the institute’s notification with dates and eligibility. Keep documents ready in the meantime, using the admission documents checklist as a starting point, and ignore admission claims from any source other than the institute.
Frequently asked questions
Has the NMC approved IIT Kharagpur’s MD programme?
No. An NMC team has inspected its facilities, but permission is still awaited, and the programme can start only after the commission gives its nod.
How many seats will the MD programme have?
The institute has sought approval for 20 seats, with 20 doctors already appointed to teach.
How will students be selected for the MD programme?
Candidates will be selected through NEET, according to the institute. No application dates, eligibility details or fee information have been announced yet.
What is the difference between this MD plan and the MBBS plan at IIT Kharagpur?
The MD is a postgraduate programme for doctors who have already completed MBBS. The institute’s separate MBBS plan remains on hold, while the postgraduate proposal is the one now before the NMC.
Frequently asked questions
Has the NMC approved IIT Kharagpur's MD programme?
No. The institute has applied for approval and an NMC team has inspected its facilities, but permission is still awaited. The programme can start only after the commission gives its nod.
How many seats will the MD programme have?
The institute has sought approval for 20 seats in the first intake, with teaching staff of 20 doctors already appointed for the course.
How will students be selected for the MD programme?
Candidates will be selected through NEET, according to the institute. No application dates, eligibility details or fee information have been announced yet.
What is the difference between this MD plan and the MBBS plan at IIT Kharagpur?
The MD is a postgraduate programme for doctors who have already completed MBBS. The institute's separate MBBS plan remains on hold, while the postgraduate proposal is the one now before the NMC.
Sources: The Telegraph, Education Times