The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has dismissed reports suggesting that it plans to start an MBBS-BAMS integrated course. The clarification comes amid growing speculation and protests from allopathic doctors against the proposed dual-degree programme.
In a press release issued on September 13, JIPMER stated,
“There have been media reports about the introduction of a dual degree programme integrating MBBS and BAMS at the Institute. The Institute hereby categorically clarifies that there is no move to introduce any such programme at JIPMER as of now. The public and media are advised to rely only on official communication from JIPMER for accurate information.”
Earlier, The New Indian Express had reported that Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH, Prataprao Jadhav, announced India’s first MBBS-BAMS integrated course at JIPMER, Puducherry, on May 27, 2025. According to Health Ministry files, the proposal originated from the Auroville Foundation in January 2024, after which JIPMER working with Ayurvedic universities drafted a curriculum for an integrated medical education model offering dual MBBS and BAMS degrees.
However, statutory bodies such as the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH), and the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) were not involved in this process. In response to an RTI filed by Kerala-based health activist Dr. K.V. Babu, the NMC clarified on June 26, 2025, that a planned joint meeting of NMC, NCISM (National Commission for Indian System of Medicine), and NCH (National Commission for Homeopathy) in September 2024 was cancelled and has not yet been rescheduled.
Dr. Babu expressed concern that the proposal came from outside agencies while statutory regulators had no knowledge of it. He also revealed that when JIPMER was asked to share details of the proposal and related communications with the Health Ministry, AYUSH Ministry, and NMC, the institute responded that no such records were available under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, 2005.
Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has strongly opposed the idea of integrating MBBS with BAMS. The association argued that while all systems of medicine deserve respect, they should not be unscientifically merged. Referring specifically to the reports about JIPMER, IMA warned that the institute could lose its status as an “institute of national importance” if such steps were taken.