New Delhi, Sep 2: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is strengthening the education, training and professional standards of Allied and Healthcare Professions to build a skilled, competent and future-ready healthcare workforce for the country. In a significant step in this direction, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified 33 new and 21 restructured/updated Allied and Healthcare Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) degrees under the regulatory purview of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP).

The UGC has issued the 5th Amendment to the Specification of Degrees under Section 22(3) of the UGC Act, 1956 vide Notification No. F.21-12/2026(CPP-II) – (UIN:3/2026) dated August 27, 2026. The Gazette Notification was published on August 31, 2026. The notification is an important step towards bringing greater uniformity in Allied and Healthcare education across the country and strengthening academic and professional pathways in these critical healthcare disciplines.

Appreciating the efforts made by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, UGC and NCAHP team, Dr. Yagna Unmesh Shukla, Chairperson, NCAHP said, “This UGC notification will bring uniformity across Allied and Healthcare courses, their duration, degree nomenclature and entry qualification under the ‘One Nation, One Curriculum’ mandate by the Commission. This notification will provide immense guidance to students who are aiming to pursue their career in Allied and Healthcare Professions scheduled under the NCAHP Act, 2021.”

The degrees notified cover disciplines including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Emergency Medical Technology, Anaesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Psychology, Medical and Social Psychiatric Social Work, Medical Radiology, Imaging and Therapeutic Technology, Physician Associate, Respiratory Technology, Dialysis Therapy Technology and Health Information Management, among others. The notification specifies the degree nomenclature, abbreviation, duration and entry qualifications, while course durations have also been revised for select programmes.

The notification further provides for specialisation-specific degrees, with nine specialisations in Master of Occupational Therapy, eight in Master of Physiotherapy, four in Master of Medical Laboratory Sciences, three in Master of Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology and two in Master of Respiratory Technology. This will expand academic opportunities for students and enable universities to offer specialised programmes aligned with the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

The reform is aimed at establishing institutional parity and uniform national standards in Allied and Healthcare education while aligning degree nomenclature with globally accepted degree-level qualifications. This is expected to encourage more students to pursue these professions, provide clearer academic and career pathways and facilitate greater mobility and international recognition of Indian Allied and Healthcare professionals.

The initiative fulfils the statutory mandate of NCAHP under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021, which provides for the regulation and maintenance of standards of education and professional services across Allied and Healthcare Professions. In line with this mandate, NCAHP has already released 18 competency-based curricula covering 28 professions, with the objective of standardising curricula and degree nomenclature across the country.

The competency-based curricula place particular emphasis on hands-on clinical training through adequate-duration internships at hospitals or associated practising facilities. This approach seeks to ensure that students develop the practical skills, professional competencies and clinical exposure required for effective healthcare delivery.

To ensure seamless adoption of the reforms, NCAHP has already issued directive to all the states, union territories and other relevant stakeholders much before the commencement of the academic year to mandatorily implement the released curricula from 2026-27 academic year, with an option to commence the Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) course. The Commission is also working towards finalising the remaining competency-based curricula for implementation from the subsequent academic year.

The measures are expected to strengthen the availability of a well-trained and qualified Allied and Healthcare workforce, which forms an essential component of multidisciplinary healthcare delivery. The reforms will also provide greater clarity and consistency for students, educational institutions and healthcare establishments while creating improved opportunities for professional growth and mobility.

New Delhi, Sep 2: “Energy security is inseparable from national security, strategic autonomy and economic resilience,” Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences; Minister of State, PMO, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, said today while addressing the 6th International Climate Summit 2026 – India’s Energy & Food Security Mission, organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi. He said that in the prevailing environment of geopolitical uncertainties, disrupted supply chains and volatile energy markets, it is imperative for India to become increasingly self-reliant, indigenous, affordable and technology advanced in the energy sector.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that technological advancement and self-reliance are closely interlinked, and affordability is equally important for ensuring that the benefits of emerging technologies reach their full potential. He said that with the emergence of an AI-driven data-centre era, India would require affordable as well as clean sources of energy to derive maximum outcomes from these technologies.

The Minister described the present period as a time of transition towards a secure and sustainable energy future, including a transition towards clean energy. He said that as India seeks to assume a greater global role, it would also have to keep pace with global trends and technological developments in the energy sector.

Highlighting the Government’s approach of pursuing energy security through multiple pathways, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that nuclear energy is one of the important areas being pursued. He highlighted the nuclear energy mission with a target of 100 GW by 2047, describing the opening up of the nuclear sector to private players as a significant development. He said that an integrated approach and an enlarged resource pool would be necessary to meet the country’s ambitious energy targets.

The Minister also referred to the target of five Small Modular Reactors by 2033, saying that the years ahead would see such technologies becoming increasingly important. He also highlighted the efforts being undertaken in the area of green hydrogen, including the recently flagged-off green hydrogen train.

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised that biofuels and the circular economy would form an important part of India’s clean-energy transition. He further mentioned that the next industrial revolution would be driven significantly by the circular economy and new technology pathways, including biofuels, ethanol and sustainable fuels. He stressed that India’s growing requirements in sectors such as agriculture, health, irrigation, fertiliser and transport make it necessary to continuously increase the pace of development and adoption of clean-energy technologies.

Highlighting the role of the Ministry of Science & Technology and its associated departments, the Minister said that scientific institutions, teaching institutions, universities and StartUps are actively contributing to India’s emerging technology ecosystem. He noted the rapid expansion of the country’s start-up ecosystem, which has grown from around 350 start-ups to almost 2.4 lakh, with India now ranking third in the world.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also emphasised the importance of greater participation of the private sector in India’s technology and innovation journey. He said that the Government cannot undertake everything on its own and that the private sector needs to increasingly participate in areas that are opening up to new players.

Referring to the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund, the Minister said that it has been introduced to accelerate private participation in research and development. He said that the initiative represents an effort to incentivise the private sector and encourage it to participate in new and emerging areas.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of non-government participation in research, noting that the Anusandhan National Research Foundation envisages greater participation from non-government sources, with around 50–60 per cent of resources expected from non-government sources. He said that such participation would be necessary for India to remain globally competitive.

Dr. Jitendra Singh observed that the earlier skepticism between the public and private sectors has been gradually declining and that both sides have increasingly learnt to work together. He said that achieving ambitious national targets would require the Government, industry and other stakeholders to put their collective efforts together.

The Minister called upon the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry to act as a bridge and catalyst between the Government and the non-government sector. He said that industry and professional bodies can play an important role in bringing the two sides together and contributing to India’s collective journey towards 2047.

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised that India’s energy transition cannot be viewed in isolation and would require simultaneous progress in technology, self-reliance, affordability, clean energy, private participation and innovation. He said that the country’s growing energy requirements and its aspiration to remain globally competitive make it essential to continue developing indigenous and technologically advanced solutions.

Yamunanagar, Sep 02: A search and rescue operation was underway to trace two Army soldiers who went missing after their boat capsized in the Yamuna river at the Hathnikund Barrage, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday evening.

According to an official statement, “On September 1, during a joint watermanship training at the Hathnikund Barrage, a boat got caught into strong currents towards the downstream barrage.

“The teams made swift efforts to retrieve the boat. However, the boat got stuck in strong eddies around the sluice gates and capsized, resulting in the crew getting swept away by the strong currents. Two members of the crew are presently missing.”

A joint search and rescue mission by the Army, Air Force, local police and civil administration is underway, and all available resources are being employed to locate and recover the missing soldiers, the statement said.