New Delhi:The proposed integrated MBBS-BAMS course atJawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, will be a degree course spanning more than five years- including a one-year internship leading to the dual degrees, an RTI reply has revealed. had earlier reported that the announcement of India's first integrated MBBS and BAMS course at JIPMER, Puducherry, was made by the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH, Prataprao Jadhav, on May 27. The proposal for this course was prepared by Auroville Foundation. As per the latest media report by theNew Indian Express, the proposal states that the syllabus for phase 1 is ready, and it has been prepared on the competency-based curriculum (CBME) proposed by theNational Medical Commission (NMC), which regulates the medical education, medical professionals, institutes and research in India. Reportedly, the integrated course will be a degree course spanning more than five years. Under the NMC Act, 2019, NMC, the Central Council of Homoeopathy and the Central Council of Indian Medicine are required to have a joint sitting at least once a year, to "enhance interface between Homoeopathy, Indian Systems of Medicine and modern systems of medicine", and "approving specific educational modules or programmes that may be introduced in the undergraduate course and the postgraduate course across medical systems and promote medical pluralism." Therefore, it is the responsibility of statutory bodies like NMC, CCH, and CCIM to design such integrated educational modules. However, while responding to an RTI query raised by Dr. KV Babu, NMC on 26.06.2025 informed that "The third joint meeting of NMC, NCISM (National Commission for Indian System of Medicine) and NCH (National Commission for Homeopathy) was earlier proposed to be held on September 23, 2024. However, due to non-availability communicated byNCISM, the same could not be held and the matter regarding convening the meeting in 2025 has not yet been decided." Also Read: Doctors demand withdrawal of MBBS- BAMS integrated course The RTI responses, therefore, suggested that statutory bodies like NMC, CCIM were involved in the process of starting such an MBBS-BAMS dual degree course at JIPMER. Allapathic doctors have been strongly objecting to Government's plan of combining MBBS with BAMS. Recently, the Indian Medical Association strongly criticised the attempts being made to unscientifically mix different systems of medicine, adding that "We respect all systems of medicine and strongly opine that we need to preserve the purity of each system." Referring to the plans of the MBBS-BAMS integrated course at JIPMER, the association said, "JIPMER would no longer remain an institute of national importance if such an unscientific step is taken." Even though the Union Minister had announced the proposed integrated course, JIPMER refused to share any details of the course with Dr. KV Babu, who filed the RTI in this regard. When JIPMER was asked to share the details of the proposal to the integrated medical course combining MBBS and BAMS, and the communications between JIPMER and the Union Health Ministry/AYUSH Ministry/NMC regarding the proposal, it said that such records and communications were unavailable and therefore could not be provided. Auroville secretary Dr Jayanti S Ravi, who acknowledged in her January 25 letter that discussions were held over the last several months with Dr V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog; Dr Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, AYUSH, and others, had also failed to share comments on the integrated course with the Union Health Ministry despite repeated reminders. Also Read: JIPMER MBBS-BAMS Plan: Are statutory bodies being left out? RTIs reveal gaps