NMC Scraps Standards Rules, Activists Fear Weaker Oversight

Healthcare activists and medical education experts have expressed concern over the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) decision to withdraw regulations governing the maintenance of standards in medical education. They have questioned whether the move could weaken accountability for medical colleges that fail to meet prescribed requirements.

The NMC withdrew the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER-2023), with effect from October 17, triggering concerns over penalties for violations, verification of information submitted by colleges and procedures for enforcement.

The regulations were withdrawn through a notification dated October 14, published in the Gazette on October 17. No single new regulation has been introduced as a replacement. The NMC has said that medical colleges will continue to submit Annual Disclosure Reports (ADRs) under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and other applicable regulations.

The decision comes amid wider demands for greater accountability in medical examinations and education, with activists arguing that regulatory oversight must keep pace with the expansion of medical seats and institutions.

Bejon Kumar Misra, consumer rights activist and founder-director of the Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation (PSAIIF), said the withdrawal had raised questions about transparency, accountability and the quality of medical education.

While the NMC Act provides statutory powers for inspections and enforcement, Misra said removing a detailed regulatory framework without clarifying what safeguards would replace it had created uncertainty over how deficiencies and false disclosures would be addressed.

“Medical colleges cannot be judged merely by their buildings, equipment, or number of approved seats. The real measure of medical education is the competence of graduating doctors, the availability of qualified faculty, adequate supervised clinical exposure, and their ability to deliver safe and ethical patient care,” he said.

Misra has written to the Centre, warning that misleading faculty declarations, inflated patient records and inadequate clinical training could go undetected unless verification and enforcement mechanisms remain effective. He urged the Union health ministry and the NMC to clarify the safeguards that will continue to apply and ensure that medical education standards can be independently verified.

Babu K.V., an ophthalmologist and medical activist, said the withdrawal could dilute the framework for penalising individuals responsible for false declarations.

He pointed to Clause 8(2)(c) of MSMER-2023, which provided for a monetary penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh for faculty members, heads of departments, deans, directors or doctors submitting false declarations or records, including patient records. The regulations also provided for penalties of up to Rs 1 crore for specified institutional violations.

“Like clause 8(2)c, which states that a monetary penalty not exceeding ₹5 lakh [will be imposed] for the faculty/head of the department (HoD)/dean/director/doctor submitting false declarations/documents/records (including patients’ records). Further, they can also be charged or penalised for misconduct under the Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations in vogue,” he said.

“This is the key regulation, where the individual doctors are made accountable, and hence deleting it is a dilution of regulatory oversight,” Dr Babu explained, refuting the NMC’s argument that there is no dilution of regulatory oversight.

Activists have also questioned how disclosures on faculty strength, infrastructure, clinical facilities and patient load will be verified, and what procedures and timelines will govern regulatory action and appeals in the absence of the withdrawn rules.

According to media reports, the NMC officials said that the move has been “misinterpreted”. The withdrawal followed a review by the Commission’s legal team, which recommended streamlining regulatory powers and removing overlapping responsibilities, they said.

The Commission maintained that withdrawing MSMER-2023 removes duplication rather than weakening oversight and that its powers to inspect institutions and verify compliance remain intact.

The notification also clarified that the withdrawal will not affect actions already taken, approvals granted, or rights, obligations and liabilities accrued under the 2023 regulations. Applications, proceedings, appeals and enquiries pending at the time of withdrawal will continue to be dealt with under those regulations, insofar as applicable. Matters arising subsequently will be governed by the NMC Act and other statutory and regulatory provisions in force.