Major Highlights of the NCH MESR 2024 for Homoeopathic Colleges and Hospitals

Major Highlights of the NCH MESR for Homoeopathic Colleges and Hospitals 2024

Dr Mansoor Ali KR
The NCH MESR 2024 mandates minimum standards for homoeopathic colleges and hospitals, effective March 13, 2024. Departments are renamed, including the addition of a Medical Education Unit. Prior institutions must meet new land and infrastructure requirements within a year. Staffing requirements are outlined, with a focus on promoting stagnant staff and including visiting consultants. Pay scales and age limits are specified, with retirement and re-employment options. Teacher qualifications include MSc degrees, teaching experience, and NTET clearance. Bed strength varies with student numbers. Recruitment criteria and preferences for teaching staff are detailed, along with qualifications for administrative roles.

National Commission for Homoeopathy (Minimum Essential Standards for Homoeopathic Colleges And Attached Hospitals) Regulations, 2024.

The Objective of These Regulations Shall Be;

(a) to specify minimum essential standards;
(b) to ensure fully functional medical institution and its teaching hospital;
(c) to provide for the requirement of staff (teaching and non-teaching); instruments; equipment in the different Departments of the college and attached hospital and infrastructure for approval of competent authority for assessment for the purpose of grant or maintenance of permission and subsequent rating of medical institution for recognised course

Renaming of Departments
Every medical institution shall have the following Departments, namely: –

1. Homoeopathic Materia Medica;
2. Organon of medicine, Homoeopathic Philosophy and Fundamentals of Psychology;
3. Homoeopathic Pharmacy;
4. Homoeopathic Repertory and Case Taking;
5. Human Anatomy;
6. Human Physiology and Biochemistry;
7. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology;
8. Pathology and Microbiology;
9. Community Medicine, Research Methodology and Biostatistics;
10. Surgery;
11. Gynecology and Obstetrics;
12. Practice of medicine with Essentials of Pharmacology; and
13. Yoga for health promotion.

Medical Education Unit
The medical institution, apart from the Departments in sub-regulation (1), shall have a unit of medical education technology for the purpose of teaching and training in Homoeopathy medical education.

Exemption Prior to this notification
Institutions established prior to the notification of these regulations shall fulfill the following conditions, namely:-

(i) for the requirement of the size and possession of the land, at the end of the current lease period, such medical institutions shall either own the land or get it on the lease for a period not less than thirty years or the maximum permissible period as per the rules or regulations of the respective State Government or Union territory Administration;

(ii) if the institution submit the application for increase in the existing number of seats or apply for higher degree courses, they shall have to fulfill all the requirements of land and infrastructure as specified in this MESR 2024. Provided that these provisions shall not be applicable to an existing post-graduate college willing to apply for the increase of seats in their existing post-graduate course or addition of new subjects for Doctor of Medicine (Homoeopathy) course;

Departmentwide requirement
Institutions established prior to the date of notification of these regulations, shall fulfil the department-wise requirements, as laid down in these regulations within a period of one year from the date of notification of these regulations.

Staff strength required
Materia Medica, Organon, Repertory, Anatomy, Physiology, PM

1. Professor: 01
2. Associate professor: 01
3. Assistant professor: 02

Pharmacy, FMT

1. Professor or Associate professor 01
2. Assistant professor 01

Pathology, Community Medicine, Surgery , OBG

1. Professor: 01
2. Associate professor : 01
3. Assistant professor : 01

Timebound Promotion
Time bound carrier progression scheme with financial upgradation and designation for the full-time teaching and non-teaching staff who are stagnant for eight years or more in the same designation, shall be made available by the concerned authority and uploaded on the website of the Institution.

Practicing consultant of Modern medicine or Homoeopathy:-
To ensure the exposure of students to experienced professional, it is essential to provide adequate number of practicing consultants as visiting faculty from modern medicine and Homoeopathy. This will be in-addition to the staff required for the hospital and college;

Pay Scale of teaching staff

1. Assistant Professor level-10 in pay matrix (56,100- 1,77,500).
2. Associate Professor level-12 in pay matrix (78,800- 2,09,200).
3. Professor level-13 in pay matrix (1,23,100- 2,15,900).
4. Principal or Head of the institution level-13A in pay matrix (1,31,100- 2,16,600).

Age limit :
As per state or central norms
Retired teachers can be re-employed upto 65, for PG purpose upto 67

Bed strength

• Upto 60 students – 30
• 61 to 100 students – 50

QUALIFICATIONS
All the newly appointed teachers must have PG before 45 years
First recruitment as a teacher (Associate Professor, Assistant Professor) needs to clear National Teachers Eligibility Test

Principal
Essential : PG with at least 2 Years teaching experience as professor or 7 years as Associate Professor + 3 year as HOD, Supdt or any administration + 3 original publications in indexed or peer reviewed journals

Professor : 5 years teaching experience in the concerned subject as Associate Professor+ 2 original publications in indexed or peer reviewed journal

Associate Professor : 5 years teaching experience in the concerned subject as Asst Professor with 1 publication or 5 years full time research experience with 3 original publications in indexed or peer reviewed journal and NTET clearance OR Employees in the Central Government Health Services or State Government Health services, Ministry of Ayush or full time five years of experience as a medical officer in regular service with NTET clearance.

In Allied subjects like Anatomy, Physiology FMT etc. Recognised post-graduate degree in medical anatomy for anatomy or physiology or biochemistry will also be considered

ASSITANT PROFESSORS
For Homoeopathic Subjects and Practice of Medicine – PG in the concerned subject+ NTET
For Allied subjects PG in Homoeopathy + NTET

In Allied subjects like Anatomy, Physiology FMT etc. Recognised post-graduate degree in medical anatomy for anatomy or physiology or biochemistry also considered

Preference shall be given to those candidates who holds an experience of working as a resident medical officers or house physicians in a homoeopathic hospital attached to a homoeopathic medical institution

Asst. Professor in Community Medicine
PG in Homoeopathy+ NTET+ 2 original publications in peer reviewed indexed journal OR PG or UG in Public health along with PhD is essential

Hospital Supdt
PG in homoeopathy with Professor Cadre

Deputy Medical Supt
PG in homoeopathy with Associate Professor Cadre

RMO
BHMS with 2 years experience

Medical Officer
BHMS with 1 year experience

Download the NCH MESR Regulations 2024 English, Hindi  

Editors Note
Even though the regulations aim to ensure high-quality homeopathic education and healthcare provision, outlining comprehensive guidelines for staffing, infrastructure, and academic standards in homeopathic institutions, – eligibility criteria for the post of Associate Professor are highly diluted.

Even a clerical employee in the Ministry of Ayush with Homoeopathic qualifications can be appointed directly to the post of  Associate Professor in a Homoeopathic Medical College. As per UGC norms, the required teaching experience for the Associate Professor post is typically a minimum of eight years as Assistant Professor, as per 7th UGC pay revision, 5+5+3 =13 years of experience are required.

But ss per the new MESR-  A research officer in CCRH, an employee in the Central Government Health Services or a Medical Officer in the State Government Health Services, or an employee in the Ministry of Ayush with five years of experience can be appointed as an Associate Professor.!!!

Our apex body seems to lower standards while professing quality education. It’s time to ensure integrity in homeopathic education ensuring that standards are maintained for the benefit of students and the credibility of the field.