New Delhi: The Supreme Court has set a March 3 deadline for the National Medical Commission (NMC) to revise its guidelines on MBBS admissions for candidates with disabilities, marking a major step towards inclusivity in medical education.

The ruling follows a case where an aspirant with 50% locomotor and 20% speech disability, despite excelling in NEET, was denied admission due to NMC's stringent physical requirements.

The Court found the condition—requiring candidates to have “both hands intact, with intact sensation and sufficient strength”—arbitrary and unconstitutional. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier denied relief to the student.

The SC had previously, in the Om Rathod judgment, asked NMC to amend its guidelines before NEET 2025 counselling.

A recent paper in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics highlighted how this ruling promotes equity by advocating functional competency assessments rather than rigid physical criteria.

The judgment also mandates medical colleges to establish Enabling Units for disabled students, similar to disability resource services in the US. Additionally, the NEET portal must display accessibility compliance of colleges.

With the NEET 2025 brochure already out, the NMC must now comply with the directive and report its progress by the Court's deadline.