Persistent Vacancies in National Medical Commission Disrupt Academic Calendar, Affect Students
New Delhi: The Central Government’s failure to fill key statutory positions in the National Medical Commission (NMC) is leading to repeated delays in medical admissions, approvals, inspections, and appeals, significantly impacting students and disrupting academic schedules across the country, according to a report submitted to the Supreme Court by court-appointed amicus curiae and senior advocate Maninder Singh.
In his submission before the Apex Court, the amicus highlighted that despite years of regulatory reforms, critical functions such as granting approvals, conducting inspections, hearing appeals, and organizing counselling for medical admissions continue to face substantial delays due to persistent vacancies within the NMC and its autonomous boards.
Students Bearing the Brunt of Administrative Delays
The report emphasized that students are the biggest victims of these delays, as admission schedules continue to extend far beyond prescribed timelines. For the academic session 2025-26, postgraduate medical admissions reportedly continued until February 2026, while undergraduate admissions stretched till December 2025.
The amicus noted that unfinished approval, renewal, and counselling processes often leave medical seats vacant and create uncertainty for aspiring doctors.
Approvals and Renewals Delayed Beyond Academic Session Start
Highlighting the extent of the problem, the report stated that permissions and renewals for MBBS courses during the previous academic cycle were processed until November, despite the academic session commencing on September 1, 2025.
The report also cited instances where appeals concerning postgraduate courses and seat increases became ineffective because counselling processes had already concluded before regulatory decisions could be taken.
Key NMC Posts Remain Unfilled Six Years After NMC Act
According to the report, many of these delays stem from the continued absence of office-bearers across the NMC and its autonomous boards. The lack of regular appointments has slowed the framing of regulations, processing of applications, granting of permissions, and adjudication of appeals.
“It is very unfortunate that an authority responsible for regulating standards of medical education in the country and performing various functions under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 is functioning without office-bearers,” the amicus stated in his submission.
The report further pointed out that even six years after the NMC Act came into force, several statutory positions across the commission remain vacant. It alleged that the Central Government has failed to fill several crucial posts envisioned under the Act, including the position of Secretary for the prescribed tenure.
Concerns Raised Over Transparency in Regulatory Processes
Apart from staffing shortages, the amicus also raised concerns regarding transparency within the medical regulator. The report observed that inspection reports and regulatory decisions are not being placed in the public domain despite statutory provisions requiring such disclosures.
According to the submission, greater transparency would enhance accountability and help medical institutions better understand regulatory expectations and decisions.
Parliamentary Panel Had Earlier Flagged Vacancies
The issue of vacant posts at the NMC had previously been flagged by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which expressed serious concern over the staffing gaps and recommended an urgent, time-bound recruitment process to fill all statutory, ex-officio, and encadred vacancies.
The committee had also raised concerns over the regulator’s dependence on contractual and outsourced personnel, warning that excessive reliance on temporary staff could weaken institutional accountability, dilute organizational commitment, and increase the risk of unethical practices aimed at securing continued engagement.
Growing Pressure for Structural Reforms
The latest observations submitted before the Supreme Court are likely to intensify scrutiny of the functioning of the National Medical Commission, particularly as delays in approvals, admissions, and regulatory decisions continue to impact medical colleges and students nationwide. The report underscores the urgent need for filling statutory vacancies and strengthening institutional capacity to ensure timely implementation of medical education policies and regulatory processes.
