Essential qualifications vary by post and specialty as detailed in Annexure-A of the notification. Generally, candidates must possess a medical qualification included in the First/Second Schedule or Part II of the Third Schedule to the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956. This must be followed by a postgraduate qualification such as MD, MS, DM, M.Ch., or MDS in the relevant specialty from an India university/institute recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI) or National Medical Commission (NMC).
For non-medical candidates, a Master's degree (M.Sc.) and a Ph.D. in the concerned discipline are required. Candidates holding DNB in broad or super specialties must produce documentary evidence of DNB equivalence with MD/MS/DM/M.Ch. as per MCI notification dated 31-10-2018.