The list includes 13 such teachers, each from two private Ayurveda medical colleges, located in Chitradurga and Raichur districts.
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The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), under the Ministry of AYUSH, has directed the Registrar of the Karnataka Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners Board (KYUPB) to suspend the registrations of 26 ‘on-paper teachers’ (ghost teachers) of two private Ayurveda medical colleges in Karnataka.The list includes 13 such teachers, each from two private Ayurveda medical colleges, located in Chitradurga and Raichur districts.A directive has also been issued to suspend the registration of another ‘on-paper teacher’, who is registered with the KYUPB but holds records claiming employment at a private Ayurvedic medical college in Gujarat.According to data for the 2025-26 academic year, there are a total of 95 Ayurveda medical colleges in the State, comprising seven government and 88 private institutions, offering a total of 7,012 seats. However, allegations have surfaced regarding ‘on-paper teachers’ in some colleges, who appear in official records, receive salaries and other benefits, but do not attend the colleges or teach the students.Following complaints, a team from the NCISM inspected the colleges and identified 26 such teachers.What the rules sayAccording to the NCISM (Ethics and Registration) (Amended) Regulations, 2023, “Any person who is held guilty by the inquiry committee of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board for being an ‘on-paper teacher’, who is a teacher duly appointed by the institution through a proper channel and who is expected to remain physically present in the institution, college, and attached hospital during working hours and in actuality remains absent from their duty, the Board shall refer such ‘on-paper teacher’.” “The Board shall suspend the individual’s name from the State Register and the National Register for such a period as the teacher’s code remains withheld by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board for the Indian System of Medicine. Further monetary penalties on the teachers and institutions shall also be imposed,” it said.“During the period of suspension, permanent registration and any temporary registration obtained by the said teacher in any State/Union Territory shall also be deemed to be suspended for the same period. Teachers concerned, during the period of suspension, do not practice any System of Medicine anywhere in India, either on the basis of temporary registration or permanent registration, and do not exercise any rights and privileges attached to such registration, as applicable under the prevailing statutory provisions and regulations,” reads the order. An official said that there is a regulation requiring that for every 100 students, an Ayurveda college in the State must have a total of 14 departments and 51 faculty members across various ranks. However, faculty members often appear only during college inspections. “The menace of ‘on-paper teachers’ is rampant in many private Ayurveda colleges across the State. This trend is driving Ayurveda colleges towards decline,” said the official from the Government Ayurveda College Hospital.B.C. Bhagawan, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, said, “I have not received any information regarding action against ‘on-paper teachers’. I will gather details from the officials concerned and ensure that appropriate investigations and legal actions are initiated against these colleges.” Published - September 12, 2026 06:01 am IST
