New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Health, Smt. Anupriya Patel, recently clarified in the Rajya Sabha that the National Medical Commission (NMC) is not considering a multi-year approval system for medical colleges. She justified the requirement for annual inspections, emphasizing their role in maintaining high standards in medical education.
The issue was raised by MP Shri Vivek K. Tankha, who questioned the rationale behind the policy of requiring medical colleges to renew their approval annually. He expressed concerns that this practice limits institutional stability and disrupts the long-term planning required for sustainable growth in medical education. He also asked whether the Ministry would consider a multi-year approval system to address these issues.
Responding to these queries, Minister Patel explained that the NMC, established under the NMC Act, 2019, is tasked with developing policies to uphold quality in medical education.
“The annual renewal process ensures effective compliance and maintains high standards in medical education. This system facilitates continuous improvement and provides a transparent assessment of clinical resources and faculty availability,” the Minister stated.
She further confirmed that the NMC has no current plans to implement a multi-year approval system.
Shift Towards Digital Oversight
Although there is no move to adopt a multi-year approval system, the NMC has taken steps to streamline the inspection process. Earlier this year, it decided to phase out physical inspections, relying instead on data from the Aadhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) portal.
This digital approach aims to reduce manual interference and prevent data manipulation. NMC Secretary Dr. B. Srinivas noted that physical inspections often led to challenges, including concerns about the dignity of doctors. The biometric system ensures continuous monitoring, providing real-time data on faculty attendance and institutional resources.
“With the portal, medical colleges will move away from the ‘inspector raj’ and toward a digitally driven process, eliminating data manipulation and enhancing transparency,” Dr. Srinivas remarked.
The NMC continues to encourage medical institutions to adopt the AEBAS system, ensuring authenticity in faculty attendance and making manual inspections unnecessary.
