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Qualifications to perform MTP under MTP Act 2021

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MTP Act 2021 qualifications registered medical practitioner perform abortion rules

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Qualifications to Perform MTP under the MTP Act, 2021 (India)

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021 permits only a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) to perform an MTP, and the RMP must additionally satisfy specific training/experience criteria laid down in the MTP Rules.

1. Who qualifies as an RMP

Under Section 2(d) of the Act, an RMP is a practitioner:
  • Registered under the Indian Medical Council Act (now National Medical Commission Act) or a State Medical Register, and
  • Possessing experience or training in gynaecology and obstetrics as prescribed by the Rules.

2. Specific training/experience criteria (MTP Rules, Rule 3)

A registered doctor is eligible to perform MTP only if they meet at least one of the following:
  • Hold a postgraduate degree or diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (e.g., MD/MS/DGO), or
  • Have completed six months of house-surgeoncy in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a recognized hospital, or
  • Have assisted in performing 25 cases of MTP in a hospital or training centre approved by the government (typically requiring a set number performed independently under supervision), or
  • Have held obstetric/gynaecological practice experience for a specified minimum period during or after MBBS training, with government-recognized training in MTP techniques.
The Chief Medical Officer of the district is empowered to certify that a doctor has undergone the necessary training to perform abortions safely (- The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 36th ed.).

3. Number of RMPs required (gestation-based, per the 2021 Amendment)

Gestational ageRequirement
Up to 20 weeksOpinion of one RMP
20-24 weeksOpinion of two RMPs (only for specific categories of women notified under Rule 3B, e.g., survivors of rape/incest, minors, change of marital status during pregnancy, women with disabilities, fetal abnormality, humanitarian/disaster settings)
Beyond 24 weeksPermitted only for substantial fetal abnormality, as certified by a Medical Board constituted by the State/UT Government (comprising a gynaecologist, a radiologist/sonologist, a paediatrician, and other members as notified)

4. Place of termination

MTP must be conducted in a government hospital or a facility approved/licensed by the government or a District Level Committee (headed by the Chief Medical Officer/District Health Officer) - private/non-governmental facilities need this specific approval to legally offer MTP services.

5. Note on expanded provider base

Separately from the core RMP requirement, government policy (following the 2014 amendment proposals and subsequent rules) has piloted training MBBS doctors (without a PG qualification) to independently provide medication abortion up to 9 weeks after certified training, to widen access in areas short of obstetricians. AYUSH practitioners and nurses have been discussed as an expanded cadre in policy circles, but under the current MTP Act framework, only MBBS-qualified doctors (with the training above) and obstetrician-gynaecologists are legally authorized to perform MTP - this remains the operative legal position (Ready Reckoner for MTP Act & Rules 2021, IPAS Development Foundation).
Sources:
If you need the exact statutory text of Section 3(2) and Rule 3/3B for an exam or legal citation, let me know and I can pull the precise clause-by-clause wording from the forensic medicine textbook annexure.
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