The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) under the National Medical Commission (NMC) released the official MARB Guidelines 2024 for the establishment of new medical colleges and for increasing MBBS seats in existing medical colleges/universities.
These updated guidelines, applicable for the academic year 2025-2026, are critical for all stakeholders in Indian medical education, particularly institutions planning expansion or a fresh setup.
What is MARB?
MARB stands for the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, constituted under Section 26(b) of the NMC Act, 2019.
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MARB checks if medical colleges meet required standards. It gives permission to start new colleges or courses, increase seats, and conduct regular inspections.
MARB can hire third-party agencies for inspections, publish college ratings online, and take action like warnings or stopping admissions if standards are not followed.
Join NEET News 2025 It can also suggest or seek guidance from the main NMC when needed.
Its role is to grant permissions for:
- Establishing new medical colleges
- Starting new medical courses
- Increasing the number of seats in existing courses
The guidelines follow the “Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023”.
NMC MARB Guidelines 2024
How to Start a New Medical College & Increase MBBS Seats?
MARB: Step-by-Step Application Process
- Online Registration: Generate a Unique ID via the NMC portal.
- Document Upload: Submit all required documents digitally (self-attested, preferably e-signed).
- Fee Payment: Pay prescribed fees (non-refundable).
- Apply for:
- Establishment of a new MBBS college
- Increase in number of MBBS seats
Documents Required for MARB Application
- Legal documents: Trust deed, Registration certificate
- Infrastructure & Hospital Details: Facilities, bed occupancy, OPD attendance
- Financial reports: Last 3 years’ audited balance sheets
- Project Report:
- Market analysis
- Site ownership & zoning maps
- Master plans, layouts, phasing
- Functional & manpower plans
- Equipment plans and costing
- Hospital expansion plans (if applicable)
- Affidavit & Compliance certificates
MARB Evaluation & Assessment Process
A. Application Evaluation
Verification of:
- Essentiality Certificate (EC)
- Bank guarantee
- AEBAS attendance data
| NMC AEBAS Attendance Data: It refers to the attendance information collected through the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) implemented by the National Medical Commission (NMC). This system uses Aadhaar-based biometric authentication (initially fingerprint/Iris, now face recognition) to track attendance of medical students and faculty |
- Course status letters
- Consent of Affiliation (CoA)
B. Physical/Virtual Assessment
Team appointed by MARB may:
- Conduct surprise inspections
- Interview staff & students
- Verify HMIS data, live video feeds
- Check Aadhaar-linked attendance
- Examine infrastructure, faculty, and clinical data
MARB Guidelines 2024 on Fake Patient Detection
Medical Colleges caught using fake patients to show high bed occupancy will face strict penalties as per Chapter 5 of the NMC Regulations. Red flags include:
- Unnecessary admissions with minor issues
- No supporting diagnostics (x-ray, blood tests, etc.)
- Multiple family members admitted
- Overuse of health camps for admissions
- Playful children in pediatric wards without illness
You must also read NMC FEE Guidelines to know how these reforms are needed for equitable distribution of medical education.
Opportunity to Rectify Deficiencies
MARB may allow institutions to correct:
- Infrastructure/equipment deficiencies
- Faculty shortages for new colleges or PG courses
Past faculty attendance (before application submission) will NOT be considered as rectification.
The MARB Guidelines 2024 are a critical framework for ensuring transparency, quality, and regulatory compliance to contribute in India’s medical education revolution.
Medical colleges planning to open or expand should follow the online-only application process, ensure all documentation is precise, and avoid shortcuts like fake patient admissions.
