Changes Suggested in Eligibility, Documentation and Penalty Provisions; Stakeholders Invited to Respond
New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a gazette notification proposing draft amendments to the “Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023.” The notification, dated February 17, 2026, outlines additions, deletions and modifications to several key clauses.
Once finalised, the amended rules will be known as the “Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Assessment & Rating (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.” The changes will come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. The draft has been issued under powers conferred by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
Changes in Eligibility Criteria
Under the proposed amendments, Clause 6(a), which allowed only specific entities including the Central Government to apply for establishing new medical colleges or courses, will be deleted. Additionally, Clause 6(g) will be revised to allow any company duly incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, instead of restricting eligibility to Section 8 companies.
A new Clause 6(h) will also be inserted, permitting trusts registered under relevant State laws to establish medical colleges. This expansion of eligibility is expected to widen participation in setting up medical institutions across the country.
Modifications in Application and Documentation Requirements
Significant changes have been proposed under Clause 9 relating to documentation. The wording will be revised to clearly specify that listed documents “shall be submitted” by eligible entities. Importantly, the Essentiality Certificate (EC) requirement will not apply to already established colleges seeking to start new postgraduate courses.
The Consent of Affiliation (CoA) clause will also be amended to broaden its applicability to the applicant, medical college, or entity. Meanwhile, the requirement for documentary proof of establishing a corpus fund at the application stage will be removed, and the solvency certificate clause will be modified to align with the last completed financial year.
Corpus Fund and Compliance Provisions
A new paragraph under Clause 15 proposes that applicants must submit an undertaking to earmark a dedicated corpus fund for the functioning of the new medical institution. Existing colleges will also be required to maintain such a corpus fund, with the amount determined by the Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB) and subject to periodic revision.
Further amendments under Clause 31 strengthen penalty provisions. Authorities will now be empowered not only to withhold processing of applications but also to reject applications for new schemes or seat increases. Any attempt to pressurise MARB or NMC may result in immediate rejection of applications.
The NMC has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 30 days from the date the Gazette notification is made public. It clarified that submissions will be accepted only through the specified email mode, and representations sent through other means will not be entertained.
