The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has officially released a new competency-based curriculum for the Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT). The standardized educational framework is recommended for rollout starting in the Academic Year 2026-27, with mandatory adoption enforced nationwide by the Academic Year 2027-28.
Shifting from traditional rote learning, the revised two-year diploma introduces a comprehensive Knowledge, Skills, Values, and Attitudes (KSVA) framework. The program ensures that future Medical Laboratory Associates gain robust, standardized capabilities across the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of diagnostic testing, aligning with stringent global quality and patient safety protocols.
This academic overhaul directly supports the Union Budget 2026-27 directive to train one lakh additional allied health professionals over the next five years. Alongside the DMLT, the NCAHP has mandated synchronized competency-based curricula across 16 distinct allied medical disciplines including Physiotherapy, Radiology, and Optometry. To facilitate a seamless academic transition, the commission has actively resolved implementation challenges and engaged universities through eight consecutive national-level orientation webinars.
Written by: Pragna Biswas
Graphics by: Pramit Hazra
