KUHS warns students against enroling on unrecognised medical, health science courses

The Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) has cautioned students and parents against enroling on unrecognised medical and health-science courses offered in Kerala, other States and abroad.

Issuing an advisory on Friday (July 17, 2026), KUHS Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal urged aspirants to verify the legal status of institutions and the recognition of various academic programmes before enroling.

“Students and parents should not rely solely on advertisements or promotional claims made by institutions. They should independently verify the recognition status of both the institution and the programme with the university concerned and the regulatory authorities,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said that in Kerala, degree programmes in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and allied health sciences could be conducted only by institutions affiliated to KUHS or by the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a deemed-to-be university. Students should ensure that the institution is affiliated to the competent university and that the programme has the required statutory recognition.

Dr. Kunnummal said complaints had been received against certain institutions admitting students to unrecognised programmes, including BSc Nursing, General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM), Optometry, Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), Radiology/Medical Imaging Technology, Operation Theatre Technology and Cardiac Care Technology, without clearly disclosing statutory approvals, university affiliation or the legal status of the courses.

He said all allied health science degree programmes in Kerala should be recognised either by KUHS or the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, while the paramedical diploma programmes should have the necessary government approval. Students should also verify that their qualifications would make them eligible for registration with the appropriate statutory professional council.

No recognition for online courses

The Vice-Chancellor clarified that KUHS did not recognise online or correspondence programmes in medical and health sciences. “Correspondence courses in Homoeopathy are neither permitted nor recognised under the existing regulatory framework. Those obtaining such qualifications will not be eligible for professional registration and anyone practising with such degrees will be treated as quacks under the law,” he said.

Foreign MBBS

The Vice-Chancellor also reminded students planning to pursue MBBS abroad that qualifying the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was mandatory before admission to foreign medical institutions. They should also ensure that the course was recognised by the medical regulator in the country concerned and that the qualification would be recognised in India.

He said foreign medical graduates would have to comply with the prevailing Indian regulations, including qualifying the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) Examination, wherever applicable, and completing the mandatory one-year internship in India before becoming eligible for registration and medical practice.

“Careful verification before admission is essential to safeguard students’ academic future, professional eligibility and career prospects,” Dr. Kunnummal said, appealing to students and parents to make informed decisions after verifying the recognition status of institutions and programmes with the universities and statutory authorities concerned.