NMC-MARB: The National Medical Commission (NMC), India’s apex regulatory body for medical education, has the crucial task of accrediting, rating, and regulating medical colleges. Its Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB) is mandated to inspect colleges, verify infrastructure and faculty, and sanction MBBS seats based on quality standards.
However, recent reports and official listings reveal a worrying reality: several top posts in MARB remain vacant, raising a pressing question: who is actually accrediting and rating medical colleges while these positions remain unfilled?
NMC-MARB: Mandate and Composition
The Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB) was established under NMC Act. 2019 to:
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- Assess and rate medical colleges across India
- Approve or reject new MBBS courses
- Recommend increases or reductions in MBBS seats
- Ensure quality standards in infrastructure, faculty, and clinical training
Current MARB Membership
As per the latest official data:
| Name | Designation |
|---|---|
| Dr MK Ramesh | President |
| Vacant | Whole-time Member |
| Vacant | Whole-time Member |
| Vacant | Part-time Member |
| Vacant | Part-time Member |
This composition clearly indicates that only the President is actively in position, leaving four critical statutory positions vacant.
Join NEET News 2025 MARB’s work requires multiple whole-time expert members (inspectors, academic leads, administrators) and part-time members with state/clinical perspectives.
Having a single permanent head while several statutory seats remain empty reduces institutional capacity, delays inspections and concentrates responsibility in a fragile structure, especially during crises.
Read Also: NMC MARB Guidelines 2024: How to Start a New Medical College & Increase MBBS Seats in India
Record Medical Colleges & MBBS Seats Sanctioned Despite Vacancies
Despite the lack of full-time and part-time members, NMC continues to accredit medical colleges and sanction new MBBS seats. Recently, NMC approved 808 medical colleges and 1,23,700 MBBS seats, exceeding record numbers, even while MARB is structurally under-staffed.
This paradox raises serious concerns:
- Who is conducting inspections?
- Who is validating the accreditation reports?
- Are these decisions consistent with NMC norms and quality standards?
Sources suggest that temporary panels, outsourced assessors, or delegated officials may be performing the rating functions. While this allows operations to continue, it significantly reduces transparency and accountability.
Read Also: NMC MBBS Expansion 2025: Why 808 Colleges & 123700 Seats Can’t Fix Broken Medical Education System?
Who Is Rating and Accrediting Colleges, Then?
Given MARB’s current vacancies, it appears that NMC is relying on:
- Ad-hoc inspection panels
- Temporary or retired assessors
- Delegated officials from other NMC departments
While these measures ensure that operations do not halt, the system lacks statutory legitimacy and accountability, raising questions about the reliability of current ratings and seat sanctions.
NMC-MARB Crisis: Inspections, Probes and Seat Chaos
Since mid-2025, the NMC-MARB ecosystem has been under public pressure:
A CBI investigation exposed an alleged nationwide inspection/recognition racket involving assessors, middlemen and college managers. This led NMC to blacklist some assessors and freeze approvals for several colleges.
As a fallout, the NMC reduced or revoked recognition/MBBS seats in some colleges, affecting students and state seat matrices, and later had to revisit some decisions after legal challenges.
The regulator has been making high-stakes, sometimes reversible decisions: seat cancellations, conditional reinstatements and re-inspections. These swings have delayed counselling rounds and created confusion for thousands of aspirants.
MARB is the technical engine that should ensure inspections are rigorous, evidence-based and above reproach. But with assessors blacklisted, allegations of corruption, and MARB understaffed, the inspection system’s credibility has been severely dented.
Read Also: NMC Cancels Seats at 6 Medical Colleges; 4 Doctors Blacklisted
How NMC-MARB Vacancies & Weak Governance Affect Accreditation
Practical consequences of MARB’s staffing gaps and systemic problems:
Policy Instability
- The regulator’s frequent suspension/approval cycles (seat withdrawals, later conditional restorations) disrupt students’ lives and university planning.
- MARB is meant to smooth governance; instead, it currently appears part of the volatility.
Inspection Backlogs & Delays
- Fewer whole-time members + blacklisted assessors = slower field visits, delayed reports and protracted decisions on recognition/seat numbers.
- States then cannot finalise counselling seat matrices on time.
Inconsistent Enforcement
- With some decisions reversed after legal challenges, stakeholders say the system looks reactive rather than consistently rule-based, undermining public trust.
Accountability Gaps
- Several concession agreements, assessor reports and the process for selection of assessors have been criticised for a lack of transparency
- NMC-MARB Vacancies make independent oversight harder.
Read Also: NMC Mandates FACE-Based Aadhaar Attendance: Discontinues QR Code
Impact on Medical Education
The gaps and uncertainties in MARB have created several challenges:
Quality Assurance Risks
- With top posts vacant, the authority and credibility of MARB decisions are weakened.
- There is an increased risk of inconsistent inspections, inadequate verification of faculty and infrastructure, and potential over-sanctioning of MBBS seats.
Legal and Policy Challenges
- Several colleges have faced legal scrutiny over irregularities in seat approvals.
- Courts and students are left questioning the legitimacy of approvals when MARB is understaffed.
Student Uncertainty
- Thousands of aspirants depend on NMC’s accreditation for counselling, seat allocation, and future career decisions.
- Delayed inspections or sudden changes in MBBS seat numbers create confusion and financial uncertainty for students and parents.
Read Also: Monopoly in Medical Education in India: Ownership, Costs & Reforms 2025
Why Filling MARB Vacancies Is Urgent
For MARB to function as intended:
- Immediate appointments: Whole-time and part-time members should be appointed without delay.
- Transparent inspection process: Clear documentation of inspections, ratification, and reporting is required.
- Checks and balances: Independent audits of MBBS seat approvals and accreditation decisions must be implemented.
- Public accountability: Students, parents, and state authorities need access to inspection outcomes and ratings to restore trust.
Without these steps, the process of accrediting and rating medical colleges remains opaque, potentially flawed, and legally vulnerable.
Read Also: India’s Medical Education Revolution: NMC Reforms, CBME, NEXT & More
Public Health at Stake
MARB is more than a regulatory board; it is the backbone of medical education quality in India. Approving record MBBS seats without a full board raises questions about transparency, accountability, and the future quality of medical graduates.
Until MARB is fully staffed and empowered, every accreditation, every seat sanction, and every rating comes with a cloud of uncertainty. For the sake of students, the healthcare system, and public trust, NMC must act fast to fill vacancies and make MARB fully functional.
