The Hindu Editorial • October 27, 2026 • Read Original

The National Medical Commission must not be seen as lax on regulation

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The Hindu Read Original

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Analysis of editorial from The Hindu newspaper on October 27, 2026

Dubious retreat: On the National Medical Commission and its MSMER

The National Medical Commission must not be seen as lax on regulation

Society National Medical CommissionMSMERMedical Education in IndiaMARBMedical Colleges Regulation

Sentences

Sentence 1 of 17

English Original

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has denotified and withdrawn its 2023 Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER), diminishing the framework of penalties vis-à-vis educational standards and infrastructure at medical colleges.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The National Medical Commission (NMC)

India’s highest government body that oversees and controls medical education

Part 2

has and withdrawn its 2023 Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER),

has officially cancelled and taken back its 2023 rules meant to maintain quality in medical colleges,

Part 3

the framework of penalties

weakening the legal system used to punish wrongdoers

Part 4

educational standards and infrastructure at medical colleges.

in relation to teaching quality and physical facilities at medical colleges.

Context and Background

National Medical Commission and MSMER

The National Medical Commission (NMC) replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI) in 2020 as the apex statutory authority regulating medical education and practice in India. In September 2023, the NMC notified the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER) to prescribe minimum educational criteria, but it withdrew these regulations in October 2025 citing overlapping regulatory jurisdictions among its boards.

Sentence 2 of 17

English Original

The move is noteworthy as the MSMER provided for fines of up to ₹5 lakh on faculty members and administrators for submitting false information.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The move is

This step by the government deserves special attention

Part 2

as the provided for fines of up to ₹5 lakh

because the cancelled regulations allowed the board to charge monetary penalties up to 5 lakh rupees

Part 3

on faculty members and administrators

on college teachers and college management officials

Part 4

for submitting false information.

if they provided fake or incorrect records.

Context and Background

Individual Penalties Under MSMER 2023

Under the 2023 MSMER guidelines, the NMC had introduced direct financial penalties of up to 5 lakh rupees specifically on individual doctors, teachers, or administrators who uploaded false credentials or fake attendance logs. Previously, only colleges as whole corporate entities faced penalties, leaving individual fraudsters unpunished.

Sentence 3 of 17

English Original

Fortunately, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) retains the power to fine errant institutions up to ₹1 crore under the 2023 Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Fortunately, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB)

Luckily, the official committee responsible for inspecting and rating medical colleges

Part 2

the power to fine institutions up to ₹1 crore

still keeps the legal authority to impose fines up to 1 crore rupees on colleges that break the rules

Part 3

under the 2023 Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations.

according to the separate 2023 government regulations covering the setup and grading of medical colleges.

Context and Background

MARB and Institutional Penalties

The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) is one of the four autonomous boards constituted under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. It has the mandate to grant permissions for new medical colleges, carry out inspections, and assess institutional compliance, with the authority to levy financial penalties of up to 1 crore rupees per violation or even cancel admissions.

Sentence 4 of 17

English Original

MSMER was lauded for its intention to crack down on the deep-seated corruption and malpractice in medical colleges, particularly over ‘ghost faculty’ and ‘ghost patients’.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

MSMER was for its intention

The MSMER regulation was widely praised for its main objective

Part 2

to the corruption and in medical colleges,

to take strict action against long-standing dishonest practices and rule violations in medical colleges,

Part 3

particularly over ‘’ and ‘’.

especially regarding fake doctors hired only on paper and fake patients brought in for inspections.

Context and Background

Ghost Faculty and Ghost Patients in Medical Colleges

To meet mandatory teacher-student ratios and hospital bed-occupancy norms during regulatory inspections, several private medical colleges historically hired temporary doctors for a single day (known as ‘ghost faculty’) and admitted healthy local people as ‘ghost patients’. The NMC introduced Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance (AEBAS) and hospital management software to curb this chronic malpractice.

Sentence 5 of 17

English Original

The NMC’s justification is that MSMER also introduced a parallel mechanism allowing undergraduate and postgraduate boards to evaluate institutions, stepping on the MARB’s toes.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The NMC’s is

The reason given by the National Medical Commission is

Part 2

that MSMER also introduced a parallel mechanism

that the MSMER rules created a duplicate system

Part 3

allowing undergraduate and postgraduate boards to evaluate institutions,

which permitted MBBS and PG boards to inspect and check colleges directly,

Part 4

interfering with the official powers and duties of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board.

Context and Background

Autonomous Boards of the NMC

The NMC Act, 2019 created four autonomous boards: the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB). Under the Act, MARB alone holds the primary statutory mandate to inspect, assess, and rate institutions, whereas UGMEB and PGMEB are responsible for curriculum and standards.

Sentence 6 of 17

English Original

However, why the NMC scrapped MSMER wholesale is unclear.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

However, why the NMC MSMER

However, the reason why the NMC cancelled the entire set of MSMER rules completely

Part 2

is unclear.

remains unexplained and difficult to understand.

Sentence 7 of 17

English Original

The 2023 Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations remain in force and include a provision to fine individual faculty members at postgraduate medical colleges.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The 2023 Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations

The official 2023 guidelines governing MD, MS, and other post-MBBS medical degrees

Part 2

remain

continue to be legally effective and active

Part 3

and include a

and contain a specific legal clause

Part 4

to fine individual faculty members at postgraduate medical colleges.

allowing authorities to impose monetary fines directly on teachers at PG medical colleges.

Context and Background

PGMER 2023 and Faculty Penalties

The Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (PGMER-2023) were notified by the NMC in December 2023 to standardize postgraduate medical training in India. Crucially, PGMER retained explicit powers to penalize individual teachers or examiners who falsify records or fail to perform duties, highlighting a regulatory anomaly where individual penalties persist for PG faculties but were removed for UG colleges after the MSMER withdrawal.

Sentence 8 of 17

English Original

Non-compliance among medical colleges is not uncommon and seldom nipped in the bud, even as the number of medical seats swells while the transparency of the medical education system has not improved.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

among medical colleges

Failure to follow mandatory rules by medical institutions

Part 2

is and seldom ,

happens quite frequently and is almost never stopped at an early stage,

Part 3

even as the number of medical seats

even though the total number of available student seats in medical colleges is increasing rapidly

Part 4

while the of the medical education system has not improved.

whereas openness, honesty, and public disclosure in medical education have shown no progress.

Context and Background

Expansion of Medical Seats in India

Over the past decade, undergraduate medical seats (MBBS) in India surged by more than 120%, growing from roughly 51,000 in 2014 to over 1,12,000 in 2024–2025. While this massive expansion aimed to address the doctor-to-population deficit, rapid approvals of private medical colleges raised persistent concerns over substandard facilities, teacher shortages, and inadequate clinical infrastructure.

Sentence 9 of 17

English Original

Notwithstanding the provision to fine individuals at postgraduate centres, the MARB and the NMC can only penalise institutions, which is harder and risks creating a perverse incentive to accommodate rather than punish, and could mitigate the fear that keeps administrators honest.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

the provision to fine individuals at postgraduate centres,

Despite the existing rule that allows fines on individual teachers in post-MBBS colleges,

Part 2

the MARB and the NMC can only penalise institutions,

the assessment board and the commission are restricted to punishing only entire college organisations,

Part 3

which is harder and risks creating a

which is much more difficult to execute and threatens to create an unintended harmful motive

Part 4

to rather than punish,

to tolerate rule-breaking or make soft compromises instead of enforcing strict penalties,

Part 5

and could the fear that keeps administrators honest.

and could lessen the fear of personal consequences that normally stops college managers from cheating.

Context and Background

Institutional vs Individual Liability in Regulation

When regulators only possess the authority to penalize institutions (such as shutting down a college or withholding admissions), doing so can harm innocent students or lead to costly court battles. This creates a ‘perverse incentive’ for regulators to tolerate minor infractions or impose token compromises, rather than holding individual managers or ghost faculty directly liable.

Sentence 10 of 17

English Original

MSMER also specified timelines to appeal penalties.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

MSMER also specified timelines

The MSMER rules had also clearly fixed exact time limits

Part 2

to penalties.

for challenging or appealing against imposed fines.

Sentence 11 of 17

English Original

Although the MARB regulations retain the appeal processes, their 15-day deadline could conflict with the 60-day period under the NMC Act, potentially creating legal disputes that delay penal action.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Although the MARB regulations retain the appeal processes,

Even though the MARB guidelines keep the procedures for challenging decisions,

Part 2

their 15-day deadline

the short 15-day limit they set for filing an appeal

Part 3

could with the 60-day period under the NMC Act,

might directly clash with the longer 60-day window allowed by the parent National Medical Commission law,

Part 4

potentially creating legal disputes that delay action.

possibly sparking court cases that slow down or stop punishments against guilty colleges.

Context and Background

Statutory Appeal Mechanisms Under the NMC Act

Section 22(3) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 grants medical institutions up to 60 days to file an appeal before the NMC against decisions taken by autonomous boards like MARB. In contrast, specific regulations often impose shorter 15-day limits, creating legal ambiguity that private college managements frequently exploit in High Courts to obtain stay orders against penalties.

Sentence 12 of 17

English Original

There is also a telling incident.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

There is also a incident.

There is also a very revealing and significant event that shows what is really happening.

Sentence 13 of 17

English Original

As part of a proceeding under the RTI Act, the Central Information Commission revealed last year that the NMC had stated in 2024 that MARB had neither formally assessed nor rated medical colleges and that its standard forms need not be made public.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

As part of a under the Act,

During an official legal hearing conducted under the Right to Information Act,

Part 2

the Central Information Commission revealed last year

India’s highest transparency authority disclosed last year

Part 3

that the NMC had stated in 2024

that the National Medical Commission had admitted in 2024

Part 4

that MARB had neither formally nor rated medical colleges

that its rating board had not conducted any official inspections or awarded ratings to medical colleges

Part 5

and that its standard forms need not be made public.

and argued that its routine college evaluation forms did not have to be shared with the public.

Context and Background

Central Information Commission and MARB Disclosures

The Central Information Commission (CIC) is the highest appellate statutory body under India’s Right to Information Act, 2005. In appeals seeking medical inspection documents, the CIC uncovered that MARB had not published official ratings of medical colleges despite statutory mandates, and had claimed that Standard Assessment Forms (SAFs) filled by colleges were confidential internal records.

Sentence 14 of 17

English Original

In a revised reply in October 2025, it said the responding NMC officer’s records did not include any of the corresponding reports.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In a reply in October 2025, it said

In an updated and modified answer given in October 2025, the commission stated

Part 2

the responding NMC officer’s records

the official files kept by the designated NMC officer

Part 3

did not include any of the reports.

did not contain any of the relevant medical college inspection reports.

Sentence 15 of 17

English Original

However, the 2023 MARB regulations require the Board to publish its latest annual assessment results.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

However, the 2023 MARB regulations

In contrast, the actual 2023 rating board regulations

Part 2

require the Board

make it legally mandatory for the board

Part 3

to publish its latest results.

to publicly release its most recent yearly inspection and grading reports.

Context and Background

Mandatory Public Disclosure Under MARB Regulations

Under Regulation 8 of the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, the MARB is legally obligated to place the ratings and assessment reports of medical colleges in the public domain. This mandatory disclosure aims to help NEET aspirants and their parents make informed decisions about college infrastructure, hospital beds, and teaching faculty before taking admission.

Sentence 16 of 17

English Original

If the NMC withdrew MSMER because the powers thereunder also exist elsewhere, the public deserves to know whether the powers are also being exercised and whether the outcomes are as publicly accessible as intended.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

If the NMC withdrew MSMER

If the National Medical Commission cancelled the MSMER regulations

Part 2

because the powers also exist elsewhere,

simply because the regulatory powers given under it already exist in other separate rules,

Part 3

the public deserves to know

ordinary citizens have the fundamental right to find out

Part 4

whether the powers are also being

whether those regulatory powers are actually being enforced in practice

Part 5

and whether the outcomes are as publicly as intended.

and whether the inspection findings are made as easily available to the public as originally promised.

Sentence 17 of 17

English Original

Unless the NMC has satisfactory answers for all these lacunae, the withdrawal will appear less like simplification and more like regulatory relaxation.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Unless the NMC has satisfactory answers for all these ,

If the National Medical Commission cannot provide convincing and acceptable explanations for all these regulatory gaps and shortcomings,

Part 2

the withdrawal will appear less like

taking back the rules will seem not so much like making administrative procedures simpler,

Part 3

and more like .

and much more like a dangerous weakening of official supervision and control over corrupt colleges.

Sentence 1 of 17

Sentences Breakdown

Editorial Summary

5-Point Summary

1 The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn its 2023 Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER), which significantly dilutes the penalty framework for medical colleges failing to meet infrastructure and academic norms.
2 The scrapped MSMER regulations were especially notable because they introduced personal monetary fines of up to 5 lakh rupees on faculty members and administrators who submitted false information.
3 While the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) can still fine institutions up to 1 crore rupees, penalising only institutions is more difficult and dilutes individual accountability for rampant issues like ghost faculty.
4 Recent RTI disclosures revealed that MARB had failed to formally assess or rate medical colleges or disclose standard evaluation forms, raising serious transparency concerns.
5 The editorial warns that unless the NMC clarifies how accountability will be enforced elsewhere, this rollback will be viewed as regulatory weakness rather than reform.

Tone of the Editorial

Critical

Why this tone?

The editorial criticizes the National Medical Commission for abruptly withdrawing regulations that held corrupt medical college administrators and faculty personally accountable. By using terms such as ‘dubious retreat’, ‘perverse incentive’, ‘lacunae’, and ‘regulatory relaxation’, the author condemns the regulatory rollback and demands greater transparency.

Sentence 1 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The National Medical Commission (NMC)

India’s highest government body that oversees and controls medical education

Part 2

has denotified and withdrawn its 2023 Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER),

has officially cancelled and taken back its 2023 rules meant to maintain quality in medical colleges,

Part 3

diminishing the framework of penalties

weakening the legal system used to punish wrongdoers

Part 4

vis-à-vis educational standards and infrastructure at medical colleges.

in relation to teaching quality and physical facilities at medical colleges.

Sentence 2 of 17

The move is noteworthy as the MSMER provided for fines of up to ₹5 lakh on faculty members and administrators for submitting false information.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The move is noteworthy

This step by the government deserves special attention

Part 2

as the MSMER provided for fines of up to ₹5 lakh

because the cancelled regulations allowed the board to charge monetary penalties up to 5 lakh rupees

Part 3

on faculty members and administrators

on college teachers and college management officials

Part 4

for submitting false information.

if they provided fake or incorrect records.

Sentence 3 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Fortunately, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB)

Luckily, the official committee responsible for inspecting and rating medical colleges

Part 2

retains the power to fine errant institutions up to ₹1 crore

still keeps the legal authority to impose fines up to 1 crore rupees on colleges that break the rules

Part 3

under the 2023 Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations.

according to the separate 2023 government regulations covering the setup and grading of medical colleges.

Sentence 4 of 17

MSMER was lauded for its intention to crack down on the deep-seated corruption and malpractice in medical colleges, particularly over ‘ghost faculty’ and ‘ghost patients’.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

MSMER was lauded for its intention

The MSMER regulation was widely praised for its main objective

Part 2

to crack down on the deep-seated corruption and malpractice in medical colleges,

to take strict action against long-standing dishonest practices and rule violations in medical colleges,

Part 3

particularly over ‘ghost faculty’ and ‘ghost patients’.

especially regarding fake doctors hired only on paper and fake patients brought in for inspections.

Sentence 5 of 17

The NMC’s justification is that MSMER also introduced a parallel mechanism allowing undergraduate and postgraduate boards to evaluate institutions, stepping on the MARB’s toes.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The NMC’s justification is

The reason given by the National Medical Commission is

Part 2

that MSMER also introduced a parallel mechanism

that the MSMER rules created a duplicate system

Part 3

allowing undergraduate and postgraduate boards to evaluate institutions,

which permitted MBBS and PG boards to inspect and check colleges directly,

Part 4

stepping on the MARB’s toes.

interfering with the official powers and duties of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board.

Sentence 6 of 17

However, why the NMC scrapped MSMER wholesale is unclear.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

However, why the NMC scrapped MSMER wholesale

However, the reason why the NMC cancelled the entire set of MSMER rules completely

Part 2

is unclear.

remains unexplained and difficult to understand.

Sentence 7 of 17

The 2023 Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations remain in force and include a provision to fine individual faculty members at postgraduate medical colleges.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

The 2023 Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations

The official 2023 guidelines governing MD, MS, and other post-MBBS medical degrees

Part 2

remain in force

continue to be legally effective and active

Part 3

and include a provision

and contain a specific legal clause

Part 4

to fine individual faculty members at postgraduate medical colleges.

allowing authorities to impose monetary fines directly on teachers at PG medical colleges.

Sentence 8 of 17

Non-compliance among medical colleges is not uncommon and seldom nipped in the bud, even as the number of medical seats swells while the transparency of the medical education system has not improved.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Non-compliance among medical colleges

Failure to follow mandatory rules by medical institutions

Part 2

is not uncommon and seldom nipped in the bud,

happens quite frequently and is almost never stopped at an early stage,

Part 3

even as the number of medical seats swells

even though the total number of available student seats in medical colleges is increasing rapidly

Part 4

while the transparency of the medical education system has not improved.

whereas openness, honesty, and public disclosure in medical education have shown no progress.

Sentence 9 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Notwithstanding the provision to fine individuals at postgraduate centres,

Despite the existing rule that allows fines on individual teachers in post-MBBS colleges,

Part 2

the MARB and the NMC can only penalise institutions,

the assessment board and the commission are restricted to punishing only entire college organisations,

Part 3

which is harder and risks creating a perverse incentive

which is much more difficult to execute and threatens to create an unintended harmful motive

Part 4

to accommodate rather than punish,

to tolerate rule-breaking or make soft compromises instead of enforcing strict penalties,

Part 5

and could mitigate the fear that keeps administrators honest.

and could lessen the fear of personal consequences that normally stops college managers from cheating.

Sentence 10 of 17

MSMER also specified timelines to appeal penalties.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

MSMER also specified timelines

The MSMER rules had also clearly fixed exact time limits

Part 2

to appeal penalties.

for challenging or appealing against imposed fines.

Sentence 11 of 17

Although the MARB regulations retain the appeal processes, their 15-day deadline could conflict with the 60-day period under the NMC Act, potentially creating legal disputes that delay penal action.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Although the MARB regulations retain the appeal processes,

Even though the MARB guidelines keep the procedures for challenging decisions,

Part 2

their 15-day deadline

the short 15-day limit they set for filing an appeal

Part 3

could conflict with the 60-day period under the NMC Act,

might directly clash with the longer 60-day window allowed by the parent National Medical Commission law,

Part 4

potentially creating legal disputes that delay penal action.

possibly sparking court cases that slow down or stop punishments against guilty colleges.

Sentence 12 of 17

There is also a telling incident.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

There is also a telling incident.

There is also a very revealing and significant event that shows what is really happening.

Sentence 13 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

As part of a proceeding under the RTI Act,

During an official legal hearing conducted under the Right to Information Act,

Part 2

the Central Information Commission revealed last year

India’s highest transparency authority disclosed last year

Part 3

that the NMC had stated in 2024

that the National Medical Commission had admitted in 2024

Part 4

that MARB had neither formally assessed nor rated medical colleges

that its rating board had not conducted any official inspections or awarded ratings to medical colleges

Part 5

and that its standard forms need not be made public.

and argued that its routine college evaluation forms did not have to be shared with the public.

Sentence 14 of 17

In a revised reply in October 2025, it said the responding NMC officer’s records did not include any of the corresponding reports.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

In a revised reply in October 2025, it said

In an updated and modified answer given in October 2025, the commission stated

Part 2

the responding NMC officer’s records

the official files kept by the designated NMC officer

Part 3

did not include any of the corresponding reports.

did not contain any of the relevant medical college inspection reports.

Sentence 15 of 17

However, the 2023 MARB regulations require the Board to publish its latest annual assessment results.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

However, the 2023 MARB regulations

In contrast, the actual 2023 rating board regulations

Part 2

require the Board

make it legally mandatory for the board

Part 3

to publish its latest annual assessment results.

to publicly release its most recent yearly inspection and grading reports.

Sentence 16 of 17

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

If the NMC withdrew MSMER

If the National Medical Commission cancelled the MSMER regulations

Part 2

because the powers thereunder also exist elsewhere,

simply because the regulatory powers given under it already exist in other separate rules,

Part 3

the public deserves to know

ordinary citizens have the fundamental right to find out

Part 4

whether the powers are also being exercised

whether those regulatory powers are actually being enforced in practice

Part 5

and whether the outcomes are as publicly accessible as intended.

and whether the inspection findings are made as easily available to the public as originally promised.

Sentence 17 of 17

Unless the NMC has satisfactory answers for all these lacunae, the withdrawal will appear less like simplification and more like regulatory relaxation.

Sentence Breakdown

Part 1

Unless the NMC has satisfactory answers for all these lacunae,

If the National Medical Commission cannot provide convincing and acceptable explanations for all these regulatory gaps and shortcomings,

Part 2

the withdrawal will appear less like simplification

taking back the rules will seem not so much like making administrative procedures simpler,

Part 3

and more like regulatory relaxation.

and much more like a dangerous weakening of official supervision and control over corrupt colleges.

Reading Comprehension

Practice questions based on this editorial

Reading Comprehension - National Medical Commission and MSMER

Practice reading comprehension questions based on the editorial about the National Medical Commission withdrawing the 2023 MSMER regulations.

7 Questions Passing: 50%

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