New Delhi: In a major step towards curbing corruption in the medical education sector, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has blacklisted four senior assessors and cancelled approvals for MBBS and PG seats at six medical colleges, amid an ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a wide-ranging bribery scandal.
CBI Investigation Reveals Widespread Corruption
The CBI has filed an FIR (No. RC2182025A0014 dated 30-06-2025) under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, against four NMC assessors, some medical colleges, and private individuals. The agency is currently investigating a systemic bribery racket involving officials from the Union Health Ministry and NMC, which allowed substandard medical colleges to gain official recognition.
Strict Action Against Assessors by NMC
Pending the final outcome of the investigation and court verdict, the NMC has blacklisted the four assessors named in the FIR.
“The Commission views such matters very seriously,” stated the NMC in its official notification. “The assessors are blacklisted pending investigation and final verdict.”
Seat Approvals Cancelled at Six Medical Colleges
The NMC has also taken punitive action against six implicated medical colleges. For the academic year 2025–26, these colleges will:
- Not receive renewal approvals for existing MBBS and PG seats.
- Have their applications for new or increased seats cancelled.
“Renewal of UG & PG seats shall not be done for these colleges, and any applications for seat expansion or new courses have been cancelled,” the notification said.
Previous Crackdowns Set Precedent
This isn’t the first instance of disciplinary action. Recently, the NMC also blacklisted another senior assessor and blocked seat expansion at a Karnataka-based medical college over similar inspection bribery charges.
NMC Urges Compliance and Ethical Practices
The apex regulator has reminded all stakeholders to strictly follow NMC rules and uphold standards of medical education, ethics, and public trust.
CBI Uncovers Organised Network Inside Health Ministry
According to the FIR, a covert group of eight Health Ministry officials—Poonam Meena, Dharamvir, Piyush Malyan, Anup Jaiswal, Rahul Srivastava, Deepak, Manisha, and Chandan Kumar—operated from within the Ministry, leaking confidential inspection-related data in exchange for bribes routed through hawala and legal channels.
These officials allegedly:
- Photographed and shared internal documents
- Leaked inspection schedules, file notings, and names of assessors
- Helped medical colleges prepare for inspections fraudulently
Colleges Engineered Fake Compliance Using Leaked Data
CBI findings reveal that medical colleges used insider information to stage fake compliance during inspections. Methods included:
- Hiring ghost faculty or using impersonators
- Admitting fake patients to create the appearance of operational hospitals
- Tampering with biometric systems to fabricate staff attendance
- Bribing assessors for favourable reports
“Such disclosures enabled fraudulent arrangements and manipulation of inspections,” the FIR stated.
This ongoing probe is being dubbed India’s biggest medical education scam, uncovering a deep-rooted nexus that threatens the quality and credibility of medical education in the country.
