DNB thesis guidelines: protocol, format and deadlines
NBEMS requires every DNB and DrNB trainee to submit a thesis protocol and then a thesis, both online on its Digital Thesis Processing Portal. For trainees admitted from the 2023 session, the protocol, approved first by your hospital’s ethics committee, is due within 180 days of joining and the thesis within 26 months on a 3-year course; on the 2-year post-diploma DNB, within 90 days and 15 months. The thesis may run to 80 pages at most, everything included.
What does NBEMS require for the DNB thesis?
Writing a thesis is part of your eligibility for the DNB or DrNB degree. NBEMS’s guidelines say research is an integral part of the programme, that the thesis is meant to familiarise you with research methodology, and that your guide must make sure the topic is feasible, economical and original. The main rules:
- An Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) must approve your study before the research starts.
- The protocol and the thesis are submitted online only, on the NBEMS thesis portal. Since NBEMS’s notice of 3 November 2023, hard copies are no longer posted.
- The thesis carries a declaration that the work is “bonafide” and was carried out by you, signed by you, your guide and the head of your institution. NBEMS will not consider a thesis without it.
- Plagiarism, breaches of data confidentiality and any other distortion of the research process “will be viewed seriously”, and the primary responsibility for ethical conduct lies with the thesis guide.
Sources: NBEMS thesis guidelines (2022), sections I, II, III, IX and XII; NBEMS notice, 3 November 2023.
What are the word limits for a DNB thesis protocol?
| Part of the protocol | Limit |
|---|---|
| Title | Up to 120 characters, including spaces |
| Structured synopsis | 250 to 300 words |
| Introduction | 300 to 500 words |
| Review of literature | 800 to 1,000 words |
| Aim and objectives | Up to 200 words |
| Material and methods | 1,200 to 1,600 words |
| References | 10 to 25, in ICMJE style |
Your hospital’s IEC evaluates and approves the protocol, and the hospital confirms the approval to NBEMS in the Thesis Protocol Approval letter, whose format is annexed to the guidelines. The IEC must be registered with the National Ethics Committee Registry for Biomedical and Health Research (NECRBHR) on naitik.gov.in, under the Department of Health Research notification of 12 September 2019. A hospital without a registered IEC may use a nearby institution’s, under a memorandum of understanding submitted to NBEMS.
Source: NBEMS thesis guidelines (2022), sections III and V, and the Thesis Protocol Approval annexure.
When are the DNB protocol and thesis due?
| Step | 3-year DNB or DrNB | 2-year post-diploma DNB |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis protocol, submitted online after IEC approval | Within 180 days of joining | Within 90 days of joining |
| Thesis, submitted online for assessment | 26 months from joining | 15 months from joining |
| Last date with a late fee | 27 months from joining | 16 months from joining |
These timelines are in NBEMS’s notice of 30 October 2023 and apply from the 2023 admission session. NBEMS names the last date for each exam session in its notices and has extended it before: for the December 2025 DNB final theory exam, to 12 November 2025. The same notice of 30 October 2023 sets the penalties.
- Protocol not submitted online in time: you cannot sit the final theory exam you would have taken first, and you cannot submit the thesis without the protocol’s acknowledgement number.
- Thesis not submitted in time: you cannot sit the immediate final theory exam, or fill in its form without the thesis submission acknowledgement number.
- Theory not passed and thesis not yet accepted: you cannot sit the next theory exam until the thesis is accepted.
- Theory passed but thesis not yet accepted: you cannot sit the next practical exam until the thesis is accepted.
NBEMS’s notice of 2 July 2026 adds outer limits. A thesis cannot be submitted more than two years after the scheduled end of training, it must be accepted within two years of submission, and the whole course must be completed within seven years of the scheduled end of training. Missing any of these makes the training null and void.
Sources: NBEMS notice, 30 October 2023; NBEMS notice, 7 November 2025; NBEMS notice, 2 July 2026.
How long can a DNB thesis be, and how is it formatted?
- 80 pages at most, counting the text, figures, references, annexures and certificates. Every page is numbered, and no page is left blank.
- A4 pages (21 × 29.7 cm), 1.5 line spacing, a clear font (preferably Times New Roman, Arial or Garamond, size 12) and 1-inch margins on all four sides.
- Introduction up to 2 pages, review of literature 10 to 12 pages, discussion 8 to 10 pages. Review only contemporary, relevant literature.
- Arabic numerals at the bottom centre of each page; lower-case Roman numerals for the preliminary pages.
- Each chapter starts on a new page with its heading centred; other headings align left, and headings of the same level share one font and style.
- Tables and figures are numbered and titled, with the caption below them and the text that describes them above, all on the same page.
- Appendices start on a new page. The proforma, consent form, master chart and patient information sheet may be single-spaced.
- Standard techniques are cited rather than described in detail, unless you modified them.
Source: NBEMS thesis guidelines (2022), section VI.
What goes in each part of a DNB thesis?
| Part | What NBEMS asks for |
|---|---|
| Cover page | Title, your name, year of the thesis, the NBEMS logo and the name of the institute; the guide’s name is optional. |
| Title | Brief and clear, focused on the central theme, without abbreviations, and containing the PICO elements. |
| Declaration | In the format for a fresh thesis, or for a modified thesis. |
| Introduction | Focused on the research question and directly relevant to your objectives. |
| Review of literature | The most relevant and recent studies on the subject. |
| Aim and objectives | The aim is what the study broadly sets out to achieve; the objectives stem from the research question and name at least the participants, intervention, evaluation and design. |
| Material and methods | Ten elements: setting, duration, design, sample (inclusion and exclusion criteria, selection), intervention if any, data collection, primary and secondary outcomes, sample size, data management and statistical analysis, and ethical issues (clearance, consent, trial registration). |
| Results | In readily identifiable sections, correctly analysed, with charts, tables and graphs. |
| Discussion | Opens by summarising the results for the primary and secondary objectives in words, without data, then compares them with earlier studies. |
| Summary and conclusion | Four paragraphs: background and objectives, methods, results, conclusions. The conclusions stay strictly within your findings. |
| References | Cited in the text in superscript. |
| Appendices | The data-collection tools (questionnaire, interview schedule, checklists), the informed consent form, the master chart, the participant information sheet and the Thesis Protocol Approval. |
Describe the statistical methods for each objective and name the program you used. Clinical residents are not ordinarily expected to take on experimental work, techniques not yet perfected, or chemicals and radioisotopes that are not readily available; where specialised laboratory work is needed, a co-guide may be co-opted from that department.
Source: NBEMS thesis guidelines (2022), sections VI.3, VI.4, VI.6 and VII.
Read next: How to write the thesis, chapter by chapter
What happens after you submit a DNB thesis?
NBEMS has the thesis assessed. It does not answer queries about the assessment until four months after submission, and a query must give your name, subject, registration number and date of submission. If the assessor asks for changes:
- Modify the thesis strictly as the assessor observed, and flag each modification.
- Label it “Modified thesis”, with a summary of the thesis and of the modifications.
- Include a declaration, signed by you, your guide and the head of the institution, that the thesis was modified as the assessor suggested.
- Submit it within 6 weeks of NBEMS’s communication.
Source: NBEMS thesis guidelines (2022), sections VIII and XIII.
What has changed for recent DNB batches?
- BCBR before the thesis, from the 2025 session. DNB and DrNB trainees admitted from the 2025 session must complete the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR), an online course in research methodology and biomedical ethics from ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology, before submitting the thesis. The e-certificate is required to sit the final theory exam.
- A paper in place of the thesis, for DrNB only, from the 2024 session. DrNB trainees may submit an original paper, meta-analysis, systematic review or large case series, published or accepted in a journal indexed in Medline, PubMed Central, Embase, Scopus or the Science Citation Index, in place of the protocol and thesis. They must be first or corresponding author, the research must be done during training and match the protocol submitted at the start, and the thesis timelines still apply. It does not apply to direct 6-year super-speciality courses.
- Online only, since November 2023. No hard copies of the protocol or thesis are posted.
Sources: NBEMS notice, 22 April 2026; NBEMS notice, 6 August 2025; NBEMS notice, 3 November 2023.
How is a DNB thesis different from an MD/MS thesis?
| DNB or DrNB | MD or MS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rules | NBEMS guidelines and notices | The NMC’s PGMER-2023, then your university’s regulations |
| The plan | A thesis protocol to NBEMS’s word limits, approved by the hospital IEC and submitted online within 180 days of joining (90 on the 2-year course) | A synopsis in your university’s format, by your university’s date; PGMER-2023 sets no synopsis deadline |
| Thesis deadline | 26 months from joining (15 on the 2-year course), from the 2023 session | The date your university notifies |
| Length and layout | At most 80 pages, everything included; A4, 1.5 line spacing | Set by your university; PGMER-2023 sets none |
| Assessment | Assessed through NBEMS. You need the submission acknowledgement to fill in the theory exam form, and a thesis not yet accepted bars you from the next theory or practical exam until it is | Examined at the final exam by an external examiner from outside the state: 20 of 400 clinical/practical and viva marks, with a viva on the thesis |
| Research course | BCBR before thesis submission, from the 2025 session | An online research methodology course, expected in the first year |
Sources: NBEMS thesis guidelines (2022); NBEMS notice, 30 October 2023; NBEMS notice, 22 April 2026; NMC, PGMER-2023, clauses 5.2(iii) and 5.2(xi), and the evaluation criteria.
Read next: The MD/MS side in full: thesis rules under PGMER-2023
Want support with your thesis?
Design, literature review, statistics, drafting support, referencing, a plagiarism check and formatting to the NBEMS layout. We draft with you from your data and your guide’s comments; you review, change and own every page, and you submit on the NBEMS portal yourself.
See thesis support →Need the statistics done?
Descriptive and inferential statistics for every objective, with tables, charts and a note on the test used for each, for your viva.
See statistics support →Questions residents ask
What is the word limit for a DNB thesis protocol?
How many pages can a DNB thesis have?
What is the last date for DNB thesis submission?
Do I need to send a hard copy of my DNB thesis?
Can a DrNB trainee submit a paper instead of a thesis?
More thesis guides
- Thesis timelineTopic, synopsis or protocol, ethics approval, data, analysis and submission, in order, with the fixed NMC and NBEMS dates.
- Choosing a topicHow to pick a thesis topic you can finish: feasibility, sample size and the FINER test.
- NMC thesis rulesWhat PGMER-2023 says about the MD/MS thesis: compulsory, 20 marks, the courses you need, and what it leaves to your university.
- Writing chapter by chapterWhat goes in each chapter of an MD/MS thesis, from introduction to references.
- Which statistical testChoosing the right test for each objective, and how to report it.
- Thesis vs dissertationThesis, dissertation, synopsis, protocol, IEC approval and CTRI registration: what each term means.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from the official documents below, read on 1 October 2026. AuraPharmLab is independent and is not affiliated with the NMC, NBEMS, ICMR or any university. Rules and dates change: check the latest notice, and your university’s own regulations, before you submit.
- National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. Guidelines for Thesis Protocol & Thesis Submission. The current version on the NBEMS Digital Thesis Processing Portal (file dated April 2022). natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS. Notice of 30 October 2023: Penal provision for late thesis protocol and thesis submission. natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS. Notice of 3 November 2023: Discontinuation of hard copy of thesis protocol and thesis. natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS. Notice of 6 August 2025: Provision for submission of an original research article (published/accepted) as an additional option in lieu of thesis submission for DrNB trainees. natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS. Notice of 7 November 2025: Extension of last date of thesis submission for DNB Final Exam, December 2025. natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS. Notice of 22 April 2026: Implementation of the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR) for DNB and DrNB trainees. natboard.edu.in
- NBEMS. Notice of 2 July 2026: Timelines for thesis submission, thesis acceptance, eligibility, and maximum permissible duration to qualify the DNB/DrNB course. natboard.edu.in
- National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. Digital Thesis Processing Portal and its notice board (read 1 October 2026). natboard.edu.in
- National Medical Commission. Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (PGMER-23). Notified 29 December 2023; published in the Gazette of India on 1 January 2024. nmc.org.in