Archive for category: News

Countries with highest reported levels of hearing loss have lowest use of hearing aids, reveals research

Countries with the highest reported levels of hearing loss also have the lowest reported use of hearing aids, finds international research published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

And men are generally more likely than women to report difficulties with their hearing, although this gender divide narrows with age, the findings show.

An estimated 1.57 billion people-equivalent to 1 in 5 of the world’s population-had hearing loss in 2019. And it’s predicted that it will affect 2.45 billion people by 2050, say the researchers.

Hearing loss is associated with an array of problems in adults. These include depression, loneliness, social isolation, falls and fall-related injuries, postoperative complications, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and even death, they point out.

But current accurate measurements of hearing loss are limited by a lack of audiology service provision and the expense of collecting hearing test data, they point out.

To strengthen the evidence base, they analysed self-reported hearing loss and hearing aid use from 8 nationally representative long term studies, representing 28 countries for the period 2001–2021.

These studies were: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSI-Brazil, 2016–20); the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011–18); the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Ageing Study (CRELES, 2005–09); the Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS, 2001–21); the South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS, 2008–17); the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2006–20); the Health and Retirement Study from the USA (HRS, 2002–20); and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004–15).

Each study collected extensive data on the demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural and health characteristics of their adult participants, most of whom were in their 60s.

Hearing ability was derived from participants reporting whether they used a hearing aid, and how they rated their own hearing, from excellent to poor. The researchers combined these responses to define hearing loss if respondents reported fair or poor hearing, or hearing aid use.

The prevalence of hearing loss varied widely, with the highest reported prevalence in China (65%), and the lowest in South Africa (16.5%).

The four countries with the greatest reported prevalence of hearing loss-China, South Korea, Mexico, and Brazil-also had the lowest levels of hearing aid use, ranging from 1% of those with reported hearing loss in China to 6% in Brazil.

At the other end of the scale, adults with hearing loss in Northern Europe, the USA, and Western Europe were most likely to report using a hearing aid, ranging from 24% in Western Europe to 39% in Northern Europe.

The responses show that the likelihood of hearing loss increased with age in all countries.

Hearing loss at the oldest ages was reported least in Costa Rica and South Africa, where prevalence barely rose above 40% at ages 85+. But over 50% of 50-54 year-olds in China reported hearing loss, with 80% doing so at the oldest ages.

With the exceptions of China, South Korea, and South Africa, men were significantly more likely than women to report hearing loss at nearly all ages.

But there were international differences in hearing aid use by age and gender. In the regions with the highest use-Northern Europe, USA, Western Europe—this increased linearly in tandem with age.

In Northern Europe, for example, around 13% of 50-54 year old men with hearing loss wore hearing aids, compared with 74% at ages 85+. Use also rose in tandem with increasing age in other parts of Europe, Brazil, and South Korea, although overall levels were low, even at the oldest ages.

In South Africa, the age pattern was reversed. Both older men and older women were less likely to report hearing aid use than their younger counterparts.

Gender differences in hearing loss were greatest in the USA, where men were 1.6 times more likely to report this than women. Men in South Africa, China, and South Korea were also 1.5 times more likely to report wearing a hearing aid, although overall use in China and South Korea was extremely low.

Women in Brazil were more likely than men to wear hearing aids, while gender differences were small or non-existent in Northern and Southern Europe, Costa Rica, Mexico and Western Europe.

In regions with the largest gender differences, men below the age of 70 were up to twice as likely to report hearing loss as women, but this divide narrowed with age. On the other hand, there were little to no gender differences in hearing loss at any age in China, South Africa, and South Korea.

In areas with high hearing aid use (Northern Europe, USA, Western Europe and Israel), younger women were more likely to wear them than younger men. In mid-use regions (Costa Rica, Central and Eastern Europe and Southern Europe), gender differences were inconsistent across age categories.

And although use was low or practically non-existent in South Africa, South Korea, and China, men of nearly all ages in these countries were consistently and significantly more likely to wear them than women.

The researchers acknowledge various limitations to their findings, including the reliance on self-reported measures of hearing loss and hearing aid use rather than objective measurements. And while the study encompassed a diverse number of countries, it was limited to those classified as upper-middle to high-income.

Nevertheless, they suggest that: “the wide range in self-reported hearing loss, from 17% in South Africa to 65% in China, suggests complex interactions between a country’s structural factors, like medical and educational systems, and a host of socio-cultural elements, such as beliefs around stigma, disability, and gender norms.”

They add: “The role of structural systems may be especially pertinent for [low and middle income countries], whose health systems are still developing and where specialty services, such as audiology, have only been recently established.”

But pinpointing the correlation between access and uptake at the international level is complicated, they point out.

“Even in countries with complete or near-complete insurance coverage (eg, Western Europe, Northern Europe), hearing aid uptake remains well below 100%, suggesting that financial access can only tell some of the story,” they write.

Reference:

https://globalhealth.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-017655

Mediterranean Diet Eases Psoriasis Severity Independent of Weight Loss: JAMA

Researchers have found in a new randomized trial that adherence to a Mediterranean diet significantly reduced psoriasis severity in patients with mild to moderate disease on stable topical therapy, likely through anti-inflammatory metabolic and molecular pathways, without requiring weight loss. The findings, published in JAMA Dermatology by Kamal Kant Kohli and colleagues, highlight the role of diet as a therapeutic adjunct for managing chronic skin disease. Psoriasis has long been associated with systemic inflammation, and this study underscores how dietary interventions can target inflammatory mechanisms beyond conventional topical or systemic treatments. The results bring nutrition into focus as an accessible, non-pharmacological option that could complement established therapies and improve patient quality of life.

The trial investigated whether following a Mediterranean diet — rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and healthy fats such as olive oil — could improve clinical outcomes for psoriasis patients independent of weight loss. Researchers observed significant reductions in disease severity, suggesting that benefits stemmed from the diet’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These properties are thought to modulate immune responses and reduce systemic inflammation, which play critical roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Importantly, patients maintained their usual topical treatments, meaning improvements were not confounded by changes in medication. By isolating diet as the main variable, the study provides strong evidence that lifestyle modifications can directly influence disease outcomes.

The authors conclude that encouraging psoriasis patients to adopt a Mediterranean dietary pattern could become an effective part of clinical care. Given its additional cardiovascular and metabolic benefits, the diet offers a holistic approach that addresses comorbidities often present in psoriasis patients, such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. The findings support broader integration of dietary counselling in dermatological practice and open new avenues for research on diet–disease interactions. The study positions the Mediterranean diet not only as a lifestyle choice but also as a targeted strategy for reducing disease burden in chronic inflammatory conditions.

Keywords: psoriasis, Mediterranean diet, anti-inflammatory diet, chronic skin disease, randomized trial, JAMA Dermatology, Kamal Kant Kohli, clinical nutrition, lifestyle intervention

Reference: Kohli KK, et al. Mediterranean diet and psoriasis severity: randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2025. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.3449

Biceps tenodesis safe and reproducible procedure for treatment of isolated SLAP tears in athletes: study

Surgical treatment of isolated SLAP (Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior) tears has traditionally been SLAP repair, however, persistent pain, low return to sport rates and biological healing issues have led to newer treatment options. Biceps tenodesis has recently shown lower post-operative pain scores, higher return to sport and better functional outcome scores compared to SLAP repairs.

Manit Arora et al conducted a study to assess the functional outcomes and return to sport for athletes undergoing suprapectoral biceps tenodesis. It has been published in ‘Indian Journal of Orthopaedics.’

Athletes presenting to the shoulder clinic with clinical and radiological evidence of isolated SLAP tears were recruited for the study prospectively. Patients were assessed using functional outcome measures (UCLA and Constant scores) and pain measure (VAS score) for six months duration. Return to sport and return to sport at pre-injury level were also assessed.

The key findings of the study were:

• Forty-two patients (84%) were male and eight patients were female.

• Twenty-nine patients (58%) were over the age of 25 years and 42% were below the age of 25 years.

• Majority of players being in contact sports (50%) or overhead throwing sports (38%).

• 65% of players had a dominant hand injury and 35% of players had a non-dominant hand injury.

• Pain and functional outcome scores improved significantly over the study duration with maximal improvement in the first three months post-surgery approaching near maximum scores.

• Between the third and six-month follow-up a plateau phase is described.

• All patients returned to sport after surgery with average RTS at 5.2 ± 1.1 months post-surgery with 82% returning to sport at a pre-injury level.

• No significant complications were reported.

The authors concluded – ‘Biceps tenodesis is a safe and reproducible procedure for the treatment of isolated SLAP tears in athletes. The present study, the first of its kind for Indian athletes, shows that biceps tenodesis has excellent functional outcomes and a high rate of return to sport.’

Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan concludes, benefits over 6.5 crore women

New Delhi: The ”Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar” Abhiyaan, launched from 17th September 2025 to 2nd October 2025, concluded with widespread participation across India, benefiting lakhs of women, children, and families through comprehensive health services.

By the end of 02nd October 2025, over 18 lakh (18,08,071) health camps (comprising both screening and speciality camps) were held under the Abhiyaan, registering a footfall of nearly 10 crore citizens (9,85,63,619) nationwide and benefitting more than 6.5 crore women.

Also Read:ESIC Hospitals hold health camps to promote women’s health

Key achievements of the Abhiyaan include:

· Hypertension & Diabetes Screening: Over 1.78 crore citizens screened for hypertension and 1.72 crore for diabetes.

· Cancer Screening: More than 37 lakh women screened for breast cancer, and over 19 lakhs for cervical cancer. Oral cancer screening has covered more than 69 lakh people.

· Maternal and Child Health: More than 62.60 lakh antenatal check-ups conducted, while more than 1.43 crore children received life-saving vaccines.

· Anaemia & Nutrition: More than 1.51 crore screened for anaemia. Nutrition counselling sessions reached more than 1.16 crore people.

· TB & Sickle Cell Screening: Over 85 lakh citizens screened for TB and 10.23 lakh for Sickle Cell Disease. 10.69 lakh Ni-kshay Mitras registered.

· Blood Donation & PM-JAY: More than 4.30 lakh blood donors registered, alongside more than 10.69 lakhs Ayushman/PM-JAY cards issued.

In addition to the extensive network of NHM health camps, AIIMS, other Institutes of National Importance (INIs), tertiary care hospitals, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, medical colleges, and private institutions have also been at the forefront of this national drive. These facilities have hosted thousands of specialty camps, providing advanced screening, diagnostics, counselling and treatment services to beneficiaries, thereby complementing the efforts of state governments and community-level health workers.

The Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan marks the largest ever health outreach for women and children in India. The initiative, jointly led by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), involved organising lakhs of health camps from 17th September to 2nd October at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Community Health Centres (CHCs), District Hospitals and other government health facilities across the country to provide women-centric preventive, promotive, and curative health services at the community level.

The Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan strengthened screening, early detection, and treatment linkages for non-communicable diseases, anaemia, tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease, while also promoting maternal, child, and adolescent health through antenatal care, immunisation, nutrition, menstrual hygiene, lifestyle and mental health awareness activities. At the same time, the campaign mobilised communities towards healthy lifestyle practices with a special emphasis on obesity prevention, improved nutrition, and voluntary blood donation.

Also Read:Govt. to Organize Health Camps for Women, says CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Punjab Govt to enhance healthcare safety, deploy security guards

Chandigarh: The Punjab government has recently approved the phased deployment of security guards at public health facilities from October 6. The decision was conveyed during a meeting of a delegation of the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), including Principal Secretary Health, Kumar Rahul, and Director of Health Services, Dr Hitinder Kaur.

According to the plan, security guards will be deployed at all district hospitals starting from October 6, while the deployment at sub-divisional hospitals will be carried out before December 31, 2025. All the 24×7 community health centres (CHCs) will be covered by March 31, 2026.

Also Read: Illegible Prescriptions Not Acceptable: Punjab and Haryana HC raps doctors

On this, the finance department has already approved the budgetary provision for the hiring of security guards, and the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) will release dedicated funds for the purpose. It was also clarified that user charges would not be utilised for this scheme, as reported by TOI.

During the meeting, several long-pending demands of the PCMSA were also discussed. The govt committed to implementing the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme by October 17 and stated that a proposal to extend MACP benefits to batches recruited from 2020 onwards would be sent to the finance department next week for notification.

PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin said the decisions marked a significant breakthrough in government-PCMSA negotiations. He said the measures, when implemented, would address long-pending concerns while improving healthcare delivery and workplace conditions across Punjab’s public hospitals.

Moreover, on rationalisation of postgraduate (PG) allowances for doctors recruited before 2016, including those before 2001, the govt agreed to initiate fresh proceedings in light of discrepancies in disbursement.

Pay protection for Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) merged into the PCMS cadre has already been approved, while rationalisation of the VVIP duties was completed, and a notification is expected next week, it was informed.

On the contentious issue of non-practising allowance (NPA) during PG courses, the additional director, health, Dr Akshay, has been tasked with examining the feasibility of withdrawing the litigation pending in the LPA (letter patent appeal).

Also Read: ‘Patients left waiting outside’- Punjab Education Minister accuses Max Hospital Mohali of denying admission despite empty ward

AIIMS INI CET January 2026 exam on November 9- Check complete details

New Delhi: Through a recent notice, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS New Delhi, recently invited online applications for the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test INI CET January 2026 for admission to PG courses (MD, MS, MCh 6 years, DM 6 years, MDS and MD Hospital Administration) of AIIMS.

The AIIMS has released the prospectus detailing all the exam details for the concerned aspirants.

All the candidates seeking to appear in INI CET 2026 January session are advised to take note of the following details:

Overall process of INI-CET January 2026 session

The INI-CET has three sequential phases, namely:

Phase I: Application

Phase II: Examination

Phase III: Seat Allocation

Eligibility for appearing in INI-CET

The eligibility criteria are mentioned under this section are limited to application and examination component of INI-CET. .

No candidate can be eligible for seats under both INDIAN NATIONAL and FOREIGN NATIONAL categories.

A. For Indian Nationals

Indian Nationals shall include candidates who are citizens of India

(i) A candidate must possess MBBS degree for MD, MS, DM-6yrs, MCh-6yrs, MD (Hospital Administration)*, and BDS** degree for MDS courses of a University recognized by the National Medical Commission/Medical Council of India as notified by Govt. of India and Dental Council of India respectively and must have completed the required period of 12 months compulsory rotating Internship/Practical training on or before 31st January, 2026 for all INIs. [For Dental courses, candidature will be as per DCI endorsement No.DE-130- 2011/B-4978, dated 13.12.2011, DCI Revised BDS Course (4th Amendment) Regulation- 2011 published in Gazette notification (Extraordinary) Part-III, Section-4, dated 9.12.2011]. Candidates who will complete their internship after 31st January, 2026 are not eligible for Registration in this examination.

*For PGIMER Chandigarh: – For MD (Hospital Administration) a minimum experience of three years in a hospital in the relevant field or five years in general practice. A certificate issued by the District Magistrate in support of the general practice claimed should be enclosed with the application.

**In reference to the proviso inserted in terms of (6th Amendment) notification in BDS Course regulations 2007, Dental Council of India published on 24.6.2013 in the Gazette of India, following will be applicable:

Students of 2007-2008 BDS batch who are declared passed with 4 ½ + 6 months Paid Rotatory Internship or 5-year duration course, as the case may be, as per Revised BDS Course (4th Amendment) Regulations, 2011, shall be deemed at par/equivalent with 4+1 year BDS Course, including one year Paid Rotatory Internship programme, for all interns and purposes i.e. for admission in MDS Course, applying for Govt Jobs, registration in State Dental Councils etc.

A candidate may be eligible for admission into any INIs or only at some specific INIs depending upon fulfillment of eligibility criteria applicable to respective INIs (details in Part B of Prospectus of respective INIs). Making Seat Choices & order of preference after declaration of result will be allowed provisionally as per applicable eligibility criteria of admission into respective INI.

(ii) Minimum Marks in MBBS/ BDS or equivalent Examinations.

The Indian National, who has obtained eligibility degree in India, must have obtained a minimum of the following marks (aggregate of all professional MBBS/BDS professional examinations):

a) For candidates belonging to the SC/ST Categories – 50% marks in aggregate

b) For all other categories including OBC/EWS Category – 55% marks in aggregate

c) For Persons with Benchmark Disabilities [PWBD] candidates the minimum aggregate as provided in (a) and (b) will be applicable for the category to which the candidate belongs.

Explanation: 1

It has been observed that applicants incorrectly fill total marks of the first or third professional examination instead of Aggregate of all MBBS / BDS Professional (4 years) exams marks. Aggregate of all professional MBBS/BDS professional examinations is required to be filled. In case of supplementary exam in one or more subject, please use only the marks (Obtained) for successful completion.

For Sponsored Candidates (Indian National)

The eligibility of Sponsored Candidates with respect to the minimum marks in aggregate in all the MBBS/BDS professional examinations will be the same as for candidates as mentioned above in points (ii)a, (ii)b, and (ii)c as applicable.

Sponsorship Certificate: It is mandatory to upload valid “Sponsorship certificate” on or before last date of submission as mentioned in Important Dates Section of PART-A. Please note that candidates have to submit original sponsorship certificate at the time of admission, failing which their candidature will be cancelled.

The candidate concerned shall be employee of the deputing/ sponsoring authority and should have been working for three years (on or before 31st January/31st July for January/ July sessions for All AIIMS/ PGIMER, Chandigarh/ NIMHANS, Bengaluru/SCTIMST, Trivendrum and candidate applying for JIPMER Puducherry are required three-year service as mentioned in Prospectus Part-B of respective institute.

For Indian National graduated from Foreign Universities

For Indian National candidates who have graduated from foreign Universities, marks obtained in the FMGE (Foreign Medical Graduate Examination) conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE), shall be considered in lieu of aggregate marks. The eligibility criteria of minimum marks shall remain as mentioned above in points (ii)a, (ii)b, and (ii)c as applicable.

In case, it is found that an applicant, who does not fulfill the eligibility qualification / criteria (such as, Internship Completion dates, etc.), has provided false information solely for appearing in the examination, the applicant’s candidature will be cancelled and the candidate will be liable to be debarred from appearing in INI-CET Entrance examination in future at the discretion of the competent authority.

B. For Foreign Nationals

Foreign Nationals shall include candidates who are NOT citizens of India.

A candidate must possess MBBS degree for MD, MS, DM-6yrs, MCh-6yrs, MD (Hospital Administration)*, and BDS degree for MDS courses and must have completed the required period of 12 months compulsory rotating Internship/Practical training on or before as per mentioned in the Part A of Section – IV at Page-5.

Candidates are required to obtain a certificate of grading system from applicable University/ Institution to determine the value of grading in percentage. The marks calculated accordingly must be filled in “Marks Column” for Completion of Application for January 2026 Session of INI-CET before due date.

The eligibility of applicants with respect to the minimum marks in aggregate in all the MBBS/BDS professional examinations will be 55% aggregate or equivalent.

No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Foreign National: The No Objection Certificate (NOC) obtained from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, should be submitted to the Examination Section on or before dates as mentioned in Important Dates Tab. Kindly note that “No objection certificate” obtained solely from the Ministry of External Affairs is NOT considered as valid NOC for INI-CET.

C. For Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)/ PIO:

1. Candidates born before 04.03.2021 and who have secured the OCI card before 04.03.2021 shall be considered INDIAN NATIONALS and will be eligible ONLY for open category (unreserved) seats for INDIAN NATIONALS. They will not be eligible for consideration for seats for Foreign Nationals.

2. OCI/PIO card holders who are not to be considered as Indian Nationals based on the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition (Civil) 891 / 2021 dated February 03, 2023 shall be considered as FOREIGN NATIONALS. They will not be eligible for consideration for seats for Indian Nationals.

OCI candidates are not required to obtain NOC, however must upload the scan copy of OCI card on or before date(s) mentioned in Important Dates Section of Prospectus Part-A. The earliest issued, valid OCI card must be uploaded on the portal. Any attempt at hiding a valid older OCI card or uploading only a newer card will be considered as providing false information and the candidature may be cancelled.

Seats available for admission into postgraduate courses for January 2026 Session of various INIs

The seats available for admission into postgraduate courses in participating INIs for January 2026 session are of two types

1. Seats available for all Indian Nationals (excluding sponsored & Foreign National seats)

A consolidated list of seats available for admission into postgraduate courses in participating INIs for January 2026 session of various INIs will be prepared and published by Examination section, AIIMS New Delhi on the basis of official information received from respective INIs. The INI-wise list received from various INIs shall be accessible from Seats Available Tab of the INI-CET portal. These lists are subjected to change as per the decision of respective INIs and shall be updated as per information received by the Examination Section, AIIMS, New Delhi. The list of seats available shall not be changed after the declaration of the results. The updated consolidated list of available postgraduate seats for seat allocation (INI-wise and speciality-wise) for January 2026 session shall be published before the declaration of results.

2. Seats available for Sponsored & Foreign National

The list of INI-wise and Speciality-wise available seats for Sponsored & Foreign Nationals will be accessible through Seats Available Tab on or before starting of “completion of application” as per mentioned in the “Important dates Tab”.

Miscellaneous (Sponsored & Foreign National candidates)

1. Seats are advertised for PG courses for different departments under 2 groups as Open and Sponsored/Foreign National only.

2. Number of seats advertised under Open and Sponsored/Foreign National for various PG courses in respective departments are not interchangeable/convertible unless expressly mentioned in Prospectus Part-B of respective INI and are applicable as per rules at respective INI.

Application Fee:

Application fee is to be paid at the time of application for the INI-CET, January 2026 (Completion of Application) in online mode. The application fees are mentioned in table below:

Sl. No.	Description	Application fee
1	General /OBC Candidates/Foreign National/OCI /Sponsored applicant	Rs. 4000.00 (Rupees Four Thousand only)

2	SC/ST/EWS applicant	Rs. 3200.00 (Rupees Three Thousand Two Hundred only)

3	Persons with Benchmark Disabilities	NIL (Exempted from payment of Examination fees)

Note	1. The applicant can pay the prescribed application fee through DEBIT CARD/ CREDIT CARD/ NETBANKING. 2. Transaction/Processing fee, if any, as applicable, will be payable to the respective bank etc. by the applicant. 3. Application fees once remitted shall not be refunded under any circumstances. 4. If due to any reason, application fee is paid more than once against one application form, the additional payments shall be refunded to applicants after verification & completion of examination process. 5. Applications without the prescribed fee shall not be accepted and summarily rejected. 6. All applicant for which fees not paid will be summarily rejected and no correspondence will be entertained in this regard.

Phase I (Application Process) of INI-CET:

All information as well as access to process related to INI-CET will be done through its online portal. The portal for INI-CET can be accessed from aiims exams website>>Academic Course Tab >>and clicking on INI-CET. The applicants are requested to visit the site frequently to keep themselves updated with latest information. The access and different components of application process will be enabled/disabled as per the dates specified in the “Important Dates” Tab.

Registration process of INICET January 2026 session is a one-time process, candidates applying for INICET January 2026 session are required to complete their registration form including basic information, qualification details, experience, images, and registration fees.

Notes: Related to Application Form

Note 1. The applicants should ensure that they fulfil all the eligibility conditions for admission into various postgraduate courses at participating INIs for January 2026 session. Their admission at all the stages of examination is purely provisional, subject to their satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. If on verification at any time before or after the Examination, it is found that they do not fulfil any of the eligibility conditions; their candidature for the examination/admission will be cancelled. If any of their claims is found to be incorrect, they may render themselves liable to disciplinary action mentioned in the Section XIII.

Note 2. Applicants seeking reservation/relaxation benefits available for SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD must ensure that they are entitled to such reservation/relaxation. They should be in possession of all the requisite valid certificates in the prescribed format in support of their claim. The OBC(-NCL)/EWS certificates should have been issued between period as follows:

a) Date(s) of valid OBC(NCL) certificate: Candidates applying under OBC category must produce the valid caste certificate in the format provided by the DoP&T vide O.M No. 36036/2/2013-Estt. (Res.) dated 30.05.2014 and further clarification issued by DoP&T OM No. 36011/1/12-Estt.(Res.) dated 14.03.2016. The certificate must mention the non-creamy layer status of the applicant (Non-creamy layer status issued by an authority mentioned in DOPT Office Memorandum no. 36012/22/93-Estt. (SCT) dated 15.11.1993). The OBC applicants who belong to the ‘Non-Creamy Layer’ and whose caste appears in the Central List of the OBCs (notified by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the recommendations of the National Commission for Backward Classes available at the website htttp://ncbc.nic.in, shall be eligible to be considered under the OBC category (Validity period of OBC Certificate in respect of non-creamy layer status of the applicants as per DOPT Office Memorandum No. 36036/2/2013-Estt. (Res-I) dated 31 March 2016). The validity of the non-creamy layer certificate should be for the financial year 2025-2026 for the certificate issued from 01.04.2025 to 21.10.2025. Certificates issued from 1st April 2025 to 21st October, 2025 (closing date of application) will be considered valid.

If the applicant does not have the OBC non-creamy layer certificate valid for the financial year 2025-2026 at the time of registration, the applicant must upload the previously issued (older) OBC non-creamy layer certificate with the acknowledgement slip of the OBC non-creamy layer certificate application for renewal. However, at the time when asked to submit/upload the valid certificate, the applicant must produce the applicable certificate valid for financial year (2025-2026) within the date as mentioned above as applicable. This additional certificate (if any) must have a reference of his/her already issued original caste certificate.

b) Date(s) of valid EWS certificate: The vacancies advertised under EWS Category are as per the instructions issued by DoPT, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension, Govt. of India, vide OM. No. 36039/1/2019-Estt (Res), dated 31.01.2019. Application under EWS category will be considered subject to submission of Income and Assets certificate on a prescribed format issued by the competent authority and subject to verification of genuineness of the certificate by the issuing authority. In pursuance to DoP&T OM No. 36039/1/2019-Estt (Res), dated 31.01.2019, a EWS certificate issued in prescribed format for employment in Central Government on the basis of income of financial year 2024-2025 issued from 01.04.2025 to 21.10.2025 valid for the financial year 2025-2026 will be considered valid. Any Certificate issued before 01-04-2025 and issued after 21.10.2025 will not be considered valid where last date of application is 21.10.2025.

The SC/ST/OBC(NCL)/EWS/PwBD certificates must be uploaded with online registration on or before last date of registration as mentioned in the Important dates/Notice published. The applicants will be required to upload appropriate valid certificates and, therefore must take utmost care to ensure that required valid certificates are uploaded. These uploaded certificates may be preliminarily scrutinized during the process of seat allocation for postgraduate courses, for determination of veracity of claim by the candidates for reservation/relaxation as applicable, however this preliminary scrutiny shall be subject to production and verification of original documents at the time of reporting/joining for allocated postgraduate seat and candidature is liable to be cancelled in case of discrepancies of any kind detected. Allocation of seat doesn’t guarantee acceptance of eligibility which is always provisional.

Note 3. Applicants with disabilities mentioned in Section 32 (1) of Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, are eligible to apply under this category provided they have benchmark disability (equal to or more than 40%). The applicants have discretion of opting for his/her own scribe or request the Examination Section, AIIMS, New Delhi for the same and should indicate their choice at the time of Completion of Application for INI-CET January 2026. In case, the applicant opts for his/her own scribe, then additional information related to the scribe will be sought from applicant before the conduct of examination. Kindly note that, all candidates who have been allocated seats under PwBD category shall be examined by a Medical Board constituted by AIIMS New Delhi to ascertain their suitability for admission into allocated postgraduate course. Guidelines for admission of candidates with Benchmark disability in PG courses at AIIMS are available at.

Note 4. An applicant will be eligible to get the benefit of community reservation only in case the particular caste to which the candidates belong is included in the list of reserved communities issued by the Central Government. The candidates will be eligible to get the benefit of the Economically Weaker Section reservation only in case the candidate meets the criteria issued by the Central Government and in possession of such eligibility certification. If an applicant indicates in his/her application form for INI-CET that he/she belongs to General category but subsequently communicates to the Examination Section to change his/her category to a reserved one, such request shall not be entertained. Further, once a candidate has chosen a reserved category, no request shall be entertained for change to other reserved category viz. SC to ST, ST to SC, OBC to SC/ST or SC/ST to OBC, SC to EWS, EWS to SC, ST to EWS, EWS to ST, OBC to EWS, EWS to OBC. This also applies to other INIs categories.

The certificates uploaded by applicants for reservation/relaxation will be preliminary scrutinised at the time of seat allocation (Phase III of INI-CET). If the certificate uploaded by applicant to support their claim for community reservation are not found valid or not found issued within dates mentioned in Note 2, then the applicant’s candidature may be considered as of general category and will be considered for unreserved seats in all INIs subject to qualifying cut-off percentile applicable in subsequent seat allocation if any on available seat only.

Further no “Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)” candidate of any subcategory thereunder shall be allowed to change his/her sub-category of disability. The certificates uploaded by applicants, for reservation/relaxation as PwBD, will be preliminary scrutinized at the time of seat allocation (Phase III of INI-CET). If the certificates uploaded by application to support their claim for PwBD reservation are found to invalid as defined under The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 to enable him/her to get the benefits of PwBD reservation, then the applicant’s candidature as PwBD shall be cancelled and will be considered as Non-PwBD for seat allocation in all INIs.

While the above principle will be followed in general, there may be a few cases where there is a gap of not more than 3 months between the issuance of a Government Notification enlisting a particular community in the list of any of the reserved communities and the date of submission of the application by the applicant. In such cases the request of change of community from general to reserved may be considered by the Competent Authority of AIIMS, New Delhi on merit but only before declaration of result. In case of an applicant unfortunately becoming disabled during the course of the examination process before declaration of result, the applicant should produce valid document showing him/her acquiring a disability to the extent of 40% or more as defined under The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 to enable him/her to get the benefits of PwBD reservation

Note 5.

For Sponsored candidates: It is mandatory to upload valid Sponsorship certificate in the Completion of Application on or before date(s) mentioned in Important Dates Section of Prospectus Part-A. Please note that candidates must have to submit original sponsorship certificate at the time of reporting/joining for the allocated postgraduate seat, failing which, their candidature will be cancelled.

For Foreign Nationals: The No Objection Certificate (NOC) obtained from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, should be submitted to the Examination Section on or before date(s) mentioned in Important Dates Section of Prospectus Part-A. Kindly note that “No objection certificate” obtained solely from Ministry of External Affairs is not considered as valid NOC for INI-CET.

FOR Overseas Citizen of India (OCI): OCI candidate must be upload the scan copy of OCI card on or before date(s) mentioned in Important Dates Section of Prospectus Part-A.

Note 6. The applicants are not required to submit other certificates (other than those mentioned in Note 2, Note 3 and Note 5, if applicable) in support of their claims regarding educational qualifications, internship completion, reservation etc. The veracity of the information provided by applicants shall be verified at the time of reporting/joining INIs after seat allocation of postgraduate seats.

Note 7. For other categories specific to any INI as per seat position/Prospectus Part-B of respective INI, candidates are required to have obtained necessary certificate as per INI-CET Prospectus Part-B of respective INI. For example: Rural Area Services for PGIMER Chandigarh, Domicile category of NIMHANS Bangalore, etc. Please see prospectus Part B of respective INIs.

Note 8. Important:

Please note that the candidates who have already done/are pursuing MD/MS/MDS/DM- 6yrs/MCh-6yrs & MD (Hospital Administration) in any subject at the time of seat allocation shall not be considered for admission to MD/MS/MDS/DM-6yrs/MCh-6yrs courses & MD (Hospital Administration), if it is found at a later stage that the candidate has given false undertaking at the time of seat allocation, his/her candidature/registration will be cancelled. The confirmed PG seat will be allotted to the candidates only after giving an undertaking as above and after depositing all original certificates.

Note 9. Candidate must have Provisional OR Permanent Registration of NMC/DCI/ any state Medical/Dental council for Online Registration. Those who have not registered with the National Medical Commission/Dental Council of India / any state Medical/Dental council are not eligible for apply INI-CET PG Examination. Further, the candidate upon selection has to register with the respective state medical/dental council in which the INI is located for the duration of the course.

Note 10. The selected candidates shall undergo a medical examination by the Board appointed by the Institute and if found medically fit will join the course on as mentioned Important dates in prospectus after depositing the requisite fee. Last date of admission: shall be as per date mentioned in Important dates, beyond which no candidate will be admitted. Candidate selected & allotted confirmed seat must join by the date given in admission/offer letter. No TA/DA will be paid by the Institute to the candidate for appearing in entrance examination and for attending the joining the course.

Scrutiny of Application and rectification of information furnished by applicants

The applicants are required to furnish accurate personal information at the time of Registration & Basic Candidate Information and additional information at the time of completion of application for INI-CET January 2026.

Eligibility for admission is not scrutinized before examination and candidates are allowed to appear provisionally in examination and seat allocation with preliminary scrutiny only as described in this prospectus. Eligibility criteria are always subject to verification (even after admission), and candidature, including admission as applicable, is liable to be cancelled without giving any notice in case any kind of discrepancy is detected at any stage.

Scrutiny of uploaded images: The images of photograph, signature and left thumb impression shall be preliminarily scrutinized for quality and format as mentioned in the section uploading of uploading images. If, the images uploaded by the applicants are NOT as per the specification mentioned in How to upload Images Tab, the Registration form of the candidate will be rejected. The status of the uploaded images shall be displayed online and accessible after logging in using registration ID and password at the time of status. Applicants shall be provided additional opportunity for re-uploading of images in prescribed format and quality as per the dates mentioned in the Important Dates Tab. Failure to upload images in the prescribed format and appropriate quality shall results in rejection of Registration form.

If it is established, at any time during the process of conduct of INI-CET January 2026 or later, that applicant has deliberately furnished incorrect information or has uploaded incorrect images (including morphed/digitally edited) for the purpose of falsification of identify/impersonation, it shall be treated as an attempt to cheat and the candidature shall be annulled and further legal and disciplinary actions will be taken (see Section XIII).

Phase II (Examination) of INI-CET:

Applicants are required to be in possession of a print out of Admit Card downloaded from the portal of INI-CET, to be allowed to appear for examination. No candidate will be allowed to enter the examination center unless he/she possess an Admit Card valid for INI-CET January 2026 Session. All requirements mentioned in the Admit Card must be complied for entry into the examination center. The admit card must bear the details of printout such as IP address etc. Candidate should must follow the instruction given in Admit Card along with other relevant information that will be published on INI-CET portal.

A. Admit Card

The Admit Card for INI-CET will available online only and can be downloaded from the link available at “MyPage” after logging in using Registration ID, Password at the Completion of Application Zone for INI-CET January 2026. The Admit Card will be downloadable as per the schedule mentioned in the Important Dates Tab. Applicants must note that Examination Section, AIIMS, New Delhi does not send Admit Card through email or post. Admit Card will be issued only to the applicants who have completed all the Stages of Application Form for INI-CET January 2026 as described in Section IX. Applicants therefore requested to follow the instruction carefully as mentioned in this prospectus to avoid rejection of application for INI-CET January 2026.

The applicants must download the Admit Card and are required to carefully check the information related to applicant. If any discrepancies or errors are observed by the applicant, then they must bring it the notice of Examination Section, AIIMS, New Delhi through the help/query section of candidate dashboard “MyPage”. The Query portal shall be accessible after logging in. While, examination section makes all efforts to reply as early as possible, however, depending upon the number of queries received, it may take upto 3 working days to respond. Kindly note that discrepancies/errors reported by the applicant shall be matched against the information provided by applicant during the course of application process.

The applicants should note that their admission to the examination will be purely provisional based on the information given by them in the Application Form. This will be subject to verification of all the eligibility conditions. The mere fact that an Admit Card to the Examination has been issued to an applicant, will not imply that his/her candidature has been finally cleared or that entries made by the candidate in his/her application for INI-CET January 2026 have been accepted as true and correct.

Applicants may also note that the physical verification of eligibility conditions of an applicant, with reference to original documents, will be done at time reporting/joining the by the allocated INIs. Candidature is provisional and always subject to verification.

The decision of AIIMS regarding allotment of centers and shift shall be final and will not change. No further correspondence from the applications for change of centre and shift will be entertained.

B. Mode and Scheme of Examination

Duration	:	3 hours (180 minutes)
Number of Questions	:	200
Type of Questions	:	Objective type of questions of varying types (including Single Correct Choice and Multiple Correct Choice questions.
Correct Answer	:	One Mark (+1)
Incorrect Answer	:	Minus one-third (-) 1/3
Unanswered / Marked for Review	:	0
Unanswered / Marked for Review	:	0

The percentile scores in INI-CET will be used to determine eligibility for admission for postgraduate seats in all participating INIs. The minimum percentile cut-off required for applicants will be as follows:

(i) For seats under Unreserved (UR) [including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI)], EWS, Sponsored & Foreign Nationals will be 50th percentile.

(ii) For OBC, SC, ST, PwBD, and Bhutanese Nationals (PGI-Chandigarh only) seats will be 45th percentile.

Important:

• Question paper will be divided in 04 parts on random basis where each part will be divided in 50 questions with 45-minute duration effectively the paper will consist of 200 questions of 180-minute duration as published in the prospectus.

• There will be sequence in which each part will be enabled to view/answer questions. Access to visible active part to view/answer will be disabled once the allotted time of 45 minute expires and next part will be automatically activated/made visible and so on. Each part will be submitted automatically after respective 45 minutes. After lapse of 45 X 4=180 minutes examination will be submitted automatically.

• Each part will appear one by one for 45 minutes duration at one time only. Candidates will be allowed only to attempt questions in the currently active part which will remain enable for its 45-minute duration.

• Candidates will not be allowed to view or answer any questions in other parts than currently active /visible part. Hence attempt all possible question of respective part during the given time period including review of any skipped question or question marked for review etc.

Phase III (Seat allocation) of INI-CET:

The seat allocation for the available postgraduate seats in participating INIs shall be done through online mode only. The seat allocation shall be conducted for at least Two (2) Rounds followed by Open Round. The detailed time schedules will be announced in due course of time.

For 1st and 2nd Round of seat allocation, qualified candidates will be called for Seat Allocation from the list of eligible candidates for admission.

The seat allocation shall be done in order of merit, choices made by the candidate and as per the reservation policies of individual INIs with regards to Institutional Preference, Community reservation (OBC, SC, ST, EWS etc.) and PwBD as applicable, through a process of Institute-wise Synchronization of Seat Allocation (In SAS). The institution specific policies will be mentioned in Part B of the Prospectus of individual INIs. The detailed procedure of Institute-wise Synchronized Allocation of Seats (In SAS) detail process will be published in due course of time.

Important Dates:

Date of uploading Prospectus Part-A & Part-B including eligibility criteria	30.09.2025
Date of uploading Notice for Seat position of Sponsored/Foreign National Category	30.09.2025
Online Registration for application	Start date	Closing Date
Online Registration for application	30.09.2025	21.10.2025 (by 5:00 pm)
Status of Registration and last date of correction of rejected Images / incorrect registration details	24.10.2025	26.10.2025 (by 5:00 pm)
Final Status of online Registration and uploading of admit card on AIIMS website	01.11.2025 (Saturday)
Date of Examination	09th November, 2025 (Sunday)
Examination Centre	Cities all over India
Uploading of valid Certificate/Card: Must upload PWBD/SC/ST/OBC(NCL)/EWS/OCI Card/ Certificate from	30.09.2025 to 21.10.2025 (by 5:00 pm)
Last date of receiving of the application form duly recommended & forwarded with “No Objection Certificate” from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India for Foreign Nationals to apply and appear in the INI-CET for PG courses –January 2026 session	07.11.2025 (by 05:00 pm) Friday
Last date to Upload scanned copy of Sponsored Certificate in the Completion of Application form	07.11.2025 (by 05:00 pm) Friday
Expected date of declaration of INI-CET Result	15.11.2025, Saturday
Online Seat Allocation including Open Round of seat allocation	Will be notified separately
Date of starting of courses	1^st January 2026
Last date of admission	28^th February, 2026

To view the full official prospectus, click the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/1759466726124-618447246-303149.pdf

Amritsar: 1.08 lakh Tramadol tablets seized, 1 held

Chandigarh: Busting a supply chain of psychotropic drugs, the Punjab Police has seized more than 1 lakh Tramadol tablets and arrested one person in Amritsar.

A total of 1,08,000 Tramadol tablets were recovered from Jobanjit Singh alias Joban, who was traveling in a car, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.

In a post on X, the DGP said a Glock pistol with five live cartridges has also been recovered from the accused.

An FIR has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Beas police station, he added.

As per PTI, Yadav said, “Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the contraband and expose the entire network through forward and backward linkages.”

Tramadol, an opioid pain medication, is a psychotropic substance and its export is restricted under section 8(c) of NDPS Act, 1985. Tramadol was notified as a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act in 2018, according to the Government of India.

Roche Pharma commits 1.5 billion Swiss franc investment in India over next five years

New Delhi: Swiss healthcare giant Roche Pharma has announced a major investment plan of 1.5 billion Swiss Francs in India over the next five years. The company’s commitment was revealed by Francois du Toit, Roche Pharma’s Area Head for Central Eastern Europe, Turkey, Russia, and the Indian Subcontinent, during his speech at the Prosperity Summit.

Du Toit emphasized that this significant investment highlights Roche’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.

“We currently have over 5,000 employees in India. We commit to investing 1.5 billion Swiss Francs at a minimum into our core businesses over the next five years,” du Toit said.

The company sees India not only as an important market, but also as a hub for innovation, he added.

The company’s investment will go into three critical areas, including R&D, he said.

Roche would also be working with Ayushman Bharat and several other schemes to bring its innovative products to as many patients in India as possible, he added.

India’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the four-nation bloc, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comes into effect from Wednesday.

Metabolically active visceral fat linked to aggressive endometrial cancer, new study reveals

High metabolic activity of visceral fat may be associated with more aggressive endometrial cancer, new research presented at the 38th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM’25) has shown.

Prediabetes remission possible without dropping pounds, new study finds

There’s a long-held belief in diabetes prevention that weight loss is the main way to lower disease risk. Our new study challenges this.

Countries with highest reported levels of hearing loss have lowest use of hearing aids, reveals research

Mediterranean Diet Eases Psoriasis Severity Independent of Weight Loss: JAMA

Biceps tenodesis safe and reproducible procedure for treatment of isolated SLAP tears in athletes: study

Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan concludes, benefits over 6.5 crore women

Key achievements of the Abhiyaan include:

Punjab Govt to enhance healthcare safety, deploy security guards

AIIMS INI CET January 2026 exam on November 9- Check complete details

Amritsar: 1.08 lakh Tramadol tablets seized, 1 held

Roche Pharma commits 1.5 billion Swiss franc investment in India over next five years

Metabolically active visceral fat linked to aggressive endometrial cancer, new study reveals

Prediabetes remission possible without dropping pounds, new study finds

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