FSFTI & PUCA President Dr Anshu Kataria Seeks Uniform Implementation of Allied Healthcare Norms across India

Dr. Anshu Kataria, President, FSFTI & PUCA & Chairman, Aryans Group of Colleges, Rajpura Near Chandigarh stated that the new rules introduced for paramedical and allied health courses should be implemented uniformly across all states. He pointed out that State Allied and Healthcare Councils have not yet been constituted in 10 states and requested the National Commission to establish these State-level Councils so that these states can also be brought under the ambit of National Allied and Healthcare regulatory framework.

Dr. Kataria further urged that, before the implementation of the new norms, the sanctioned intake of all private universities, deemed universities and affiliated colleges across the country should be uploaded on the portal. He also requested that the approved intake for the academic session 2026 be uploaded so that students can verify the sanctioned intake of every college and university before taking admission.

Raising the issue of land norms, Dr. Kataria said that the Commission had initially prescribed a 10-acre land requirement for Bachelors of Physiotherapy (BPT) institutions, which was later reduced to 5 acres, whereas Maharashtra follows a 2-acre requirement. He requested the Commission to adopt and implement one uniform land policy across the country.

DR. Rev K. V. K. Rao, General Secretary, FSFTI said that the Commission had initially made NEET mandatory for paramedical courses. Subsequently, the requirement was restricted to only 3–4 courses, and later even this provision was deferred, resulting into ambiguity in the minds of lakhs of students in India.

Adv Amit Sharma, Senior Vice President, PUCA stated that I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKG-PTU) has not yet granted affiliation to any college in Punjab and is awaiting directions from the UGC. He requested the National Commission to ensure that these norms are implemented uniformly across the country through the UGC among all allied colleges of India.

S. Manjit Singh, Patron, PUCA, said Allied Healthcare has emerged as one of India's fastest-growing healthcare sectors, with over 2,500 institutions offering more than 2 lakh seats annually, playing a crucial role in strengthening the country's healthcare delivery system.

HPS Kanda, Executive Member, PUCA, said transparent regulations and policy stability are essential to safeguard the interests of students, institutions and universities while ensuring quality Allied Healthcare education across the country.