Minister Highlights Quality Control Measures in Medical Education
New Delhi: The Union Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, informed the Rajya Sabha about the continuous efforts taken by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to strengthen the quality of medical education across the country. She noted that the Commission has put in place stringent monitoring mechanisms to ensure institutions meet essential academic, clinical, and infrastructural standards.
Deficient Colleges Face Penalties and Seat Reductions
The Minister clarified that whenever medical colleges fail to comply with mandatory standards—whether related to faculty strength, infrastructure, or clinical facilities—they receive show-cause notices. These colleges must then submit compliance reports, followed by further evaluations. In cases of major violations, NMC can impose monetary penalties or even reduce MBBS seats.
Query Raised on Dilution of Medical Education Standards
These details were shared in response to questions by Parliament member C. VE. Shanmugam, who asked whether NMC was aware of the dilution of medical education in several institutions and what steps were being taken to preserve teaching quality nationwide.
NMC’s Role as an Apex Regulatory Body
Minister Patel reaffirmed that NMC, being a statutory body constituted by Parliament, is responsible for regulating and overseeing medical education and professional standards. She stated that the Commission works continuously to maintain uniformity and high-quality medical training across India.
Annual Declaration Reports Under MSMER 2023
The Minister emphasized the significance of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER 2023). Under these guidelines, all medical colleges must submit Annual Declaration Reports (ADRs) online. Expert committees scrutinize these reports and issue show-cause notices if deficiencies are detected. State authorities and college managements are also notified of gaps to ensure timely corrective measures.
Penalties for Major Non-Compliance
Patel noted that serious lapses can lead to stringent action. Apart from financial penalties and seat cuts, colleges failing to rectify deficiencies face further evaluations until full compliance is achieved. The aim is to ensure that no institution compromises the training quality of future doctors.
Measures by the Postgraduate Medical Education Board
Speaking on postgraduate training, Patel explained that the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), under the PGMER 2023 regulations, has implemented reforms including district residency programs, updated examination criteria, clinical workload norms, faculty–student ratios, and annual evaluations. Penalties and an appeal mechanism have also been introduced to maintain standards.
All Institutions Must Follow MSMER-23 Guidelines
Earlier, the NMC clarified through FAQs that all institutions, students, and stakeholders must adhere to the MSMER-23 regulations to maintain recognition of medical qualifications. These norms ensure that all permitted seats under affiliated universities continue to meet prescribed standards for quality medical education.
