19 of 54 Sanctioned Positions Unfilled Across NMC and Its Autonomous Boards
Nearly one-third of the sanctioned posts in the National Medical Commission (NMC) are currently vacant, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel informed the Rajya Sabha.
According to the data shared in Parliament, the total sanctioned strength of the Commission and its four autonomous boards stands at 54 posts. Of these, only 35 are filled, while 19 remain vacant, including key leadership positions such as the Presidents of the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB).
Several other posts across the boards are also lying vacant. These include two whole-time and two part-time members of the Undergraduate Medical Education Board, two whole-time and one part-time members of the Postgraduate Medical Education Board, two whole-time and one part-time members of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and two whole-time and two part-time members of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board.
As per the Ministry’s details, the Commission itself has 33 sanctioned posts, out of which 28 are currently filled and five remain vacant. The post of Secretary, NMC, however, is filled.
The Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) has five sanctioned posts, but only one member is currently in position, leaving four vacancies. Similarly, the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) has five sanctioned posts, with only two filled and three vacant.
The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) also has five sanctioned posts, of which two are in position and three remain vacant. The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) mirrors a similar situation, with just one member in place out of five sanctioned posts, resulting in four vacancies.
The information was shared in response to questions raised by Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, who sought details regarding sanctioned strength, current vacancies, potential regulatory gaps, and the functioning of the Commission in the absence of a full complement of members under the provisions of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
In her reply, Patel stated that appropriate institutional mechanisms are in place to ensure the continued discharge of statutory responsibilities relating to regulation of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, ethics, and accreditation. She added that filling vacancies is a continuous process and that action is taken in accordance with the NMC Act, including issuing advertisements from time to time to fill vacant posts.
