In a significant advancement for allied health professions in India, physiotherapists have been officially permitted to use the title ‘Doctor’ (Dr) as a prefix and ‘PT’ as a suffix to their names. The decision was announced by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) during the launch of the new Physiotherapy Curriculum for 2025. This move was brought into effect under the oversight of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and has been viewed as a major milestone in recognising the autonomous role of physiotherapists in India’s healthcare system.
As part of this reform, the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) program has been redesigned. It will now be conducted over five years, including four academic years and one year of compulsory clinical internship. Admission to the course will be granted only to students who qualify through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and clinical training will be initiated from the second year of the program itself. The updated curriculum will be implemented mandatorily from the academic year 2026.
The curriculum has been structured as per global standards laid down by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). It has also been aligned with the National Credit Framework, where 15 hours of theory, 30 hours of practical training, and 40 hours of clinical experience will be equated to one academic credit. Additionally, physiotherapy educators will be required to undergo a Faculty Development Program every three years to ensure uniformity in teaching quality. The policy changes have been brought in as part of the NCAHP Act, 2021, which was enacted to streamline the regulation, registration, and education of allied and healthcare professionals across the country. Professions such as trauma care, nutrition, occupational therapy, ophthalmic science, behavioural science, medical radiology, and medical laboratory technology have also been included under the Act’s purview.
It was highlighted by health authorities that with the implementation of this curriculum, physiotherapists will now be allowed to offer direct patient care without the need for referrals from physicians. The change has been viewed as a significant recognition of physiotherapists as independent practitioners. The announcement was welcomed by members of the profession. It was stated by a Mumbai-based physiotherapist that this decision marked a shift in how physiotherapists were perceived, as it brought them out from under the shadow of mainstream medical practitioners and established them as primary contributors to holistic health and rehabilitation.
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