Hyderabad: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued show-cause notices to 26 out of 34 government medical colleges in Telangana, citing serious deficiencies in academic and administrative infrastructure, including gaps in clinical material and faculty strength.
The notices were served following NMC’s routine annual assessment of medical institutions across India. Only eight government medical colleges in Telangana—including Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College, and RIMS Adilabad—were exempt from the notices.
Addressing the development, Telangana Director of Medical Education (DME), Dr. A. Narendra Kumar, clarified that the notices were part of a standard compliance review and not intended to reduce MBBS seats or derecognize colleges. “This exercise aims to strengthen medical education through better infrastructure and faculty standards,” he told The Hindu.
As part of the compliance process, Telangana Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu and DME Kumar are set to appear before the NMC, while the principals of the 26 colleges will attend via video conferencing.
Experts in the healthcare sector, however, say the issue stems from rapid expansion without adequate planning. A senior government doctor, speaking anonymously, noted, “Between 2016 and 2024, the state established 29 new government medical colleges. This unprecedented expansion inevitably created gaps in infrastructure, staffing, and clinical exposure.”
The doctor also criticized the NMC’s role in fast-tracking permissions without robust evaluations. “Now that the colleges are operational, the regulator is questioning why facilities are lacking. A more thoughtful approval process could have prevented this situation,” the doctor remarked.
The show-cause notices come amid similar action in other states such as Maharashtra and West Bengal, underscoring the NMC’s heightened focus on maintaining quality in medical education nationwide.
