New Delhi : The Medical Council of India (MCI) is working on a new MBBS curriculum for the country, which may come into effect by 2016-17.

“The first draft has been completed. After looking at it once more,it will be sent to medical colleges for the faculty to be trained, after which it will be implemented,” said Jayshree Mehta, president of the regulatory body on Thursday.

The new curriculum, which has been in the works for a year-and-a-half now, will be the first change since 1956. “This will be a competency-based curriculum. We find that a lot of students focus more on their postgraduate studies rather than their internships, leaving them unable to perform practically. Also, there are so many things in the old syllabus that have become obsolete now. We want the students to have the latest knowledge there is,” she said.

The curriculum will emphasise professionalism and ethics and also focus on mental health and sexual health issues. “The curriculum will ensure doctors are trained in treating victims of sexual violence,” she said.

On the shortage of faculty and colleges often ‘borrowing’ doctors to display a full strength to MCI, she said this practice had to be stopped. “We need full-time faculty. That is why, now even before colleges get recognition (which is a long process), we allow them to start postgraduate non-clinical courses. The shortage is slowly coming down,” she said.

On increasing the retirement age of faculty from 70 to 75, she said this had not yet been decided. “Teachers have requested it but we also have to consider the promotions issue,” she said.

The status of Chennai’s newest government medical college at Omandurar Estate will be known by May 15, said C.V. Bhirmanandam, vice-president, MCI. “We are processing the report and once we are convinced, we will pass it. This will be announced after May 15,” he said.

Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan said the new college had been compliant with all MCI’s requirements for faculty, infrastructure and equipment. If the college begins functioning this academic year, it will add another 100 seats to the State’s 2,555.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Mehta participated in the 27th convocation of the TN Dr. MGR Medical University at the University of Madras. Governor K. Rosaiah and Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar also participated. The university also took this opportunity to celebrate the permission granted by MCI to increase their annual intake of postgraduate students in Immunohematology and blood transfusion from the academic year 2013-14.

A total of 11, 185 students were conferred with degrees and diplomas under the faculties of medical, dental, AYUSH and allied health science courses.