NMC's Transparent Process for Medical College Approvals Continues

The National Medical Commission has not made any decisions regarding a freeze on approvals for new medical colleges or increasing MBBS seats for the academic year 2025-26, the government clarified to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. This comes as Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, shared details based on information from the NMC.

In a written statement, Patel explained that the NMC follows a transparent and structured process for evaluating applications related to the approval of medical seats in colleges and institutions. The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) annually invites applications through an online portal for setting up new medical colleges, increasing UG seats, or introducing new PG courses, guided by the NMC Act, 2019.

Patel stated that prospective institutions must meet criteria outlined by the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education Boards. Applications undergo preliminary scrutiny by MARB, and any deficiencies lead to issuing a show cause notice (SCN). Expert assessors ensure an unbiased assessment, potentially incorporating digital scrutiny and surprise physical assessments. Compliance with the NMC Act is mandatory for obtaining approval.

(With inputs from agencies.)