Shimla: Postgraduate medical education in Himachal Pradesh faces a setback as the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has temporarily suspended the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) courses in the state. This suspension halts DNB seat allocation in Himachal for the 2024-2025 academic year, as reported by The Tribune.
NBEMS offers DNB courses, three-year postgraduate programs for MBBS graduates, which hold equivalent status to Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) programs. Himachal Pradesh currently has 30 DNB postgraduate seats across various medical colleges, along with 15 two-year DNB diploma courses.
Students have filed a pending court case challenging NBEMS's decision to transfer students between colleges due to issues with stipend payments, according to The Tribune. Dr. Praveen Sharma, Controller of Examination at Atal Medical and Research University, stated, “The NBEMS temporarily suspended the seats pending a Himachal Pradesh High Court decision. Seat allocation will resume once the case is resolved.”
Previously, NBE ordered the transfer of DNB students from Hamirpur Medical College after some students reported that stipends weren’t provided in line with NBEMS guidelines. The affected students challenged this transfer in court, which has led to the temporary suspension of DNB courses.
A source informed The Tribune, “According to our postgraduate policy, students must sign a service bond to qualify for a stipend.”. Those who don’t sign aren’t entitled to stipends.” Some Hamirpur students hadn’t signed the bond but still reported non-payment, ultimately triggering the court case and course suspension.
As per NBEMS policy, accredited hospitals must pay stipends to DNB trainees. The latest notice, dated September 9, 2024, reiterates this, specifying stipend amounts for different DNB and DrNB programs.
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