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.
