Ahmedabad: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has reversed its earlier decision on approving new medical colleges and increasing MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic year. This U-turn follows last month’s suspension after CBI exposed medical college inspection fraud all over India found irregularities in infrastructure and inspections at several medical colleges.
NMC Reverses Decision
NMC’s Earlier Order
On receiving evidence of bribery and compliance failure in medical college approvals, including in several Gujarat institutions, the NMC had imposed a blanket moratorium on:
- Approvals for new medical colleges
- Seat increases in existing colleges
- Renewals of existing course permissions
NMC’s Revised Stance
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has clarified that it will now accept applications for new colleges and seat expansions, excluding any institutions implicated in the CBI probe. This decision could result in approximately 350 new MBBS seats in Gujarat alone, contingent on pending proposals and reviews.
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The initial freeze came after a high-profile bribery scandal involving approval corruption at 40 colleges, including medical colleges in Gujarat, and implicating senior health department and NMC officials. Some colleges were granted recognition despite lacking basic infrastructure and faculty positions.
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Join NEET News 2025 Now, the NMC appears to be adopting a more balanced approach: maintaining regulatory integrity while restoring access to medical seats, especially in high-demand states.
Two colleges have submitted proposals for seat increases, and a new college is under review. If approved, state capacity may rise by ~350 MBBS seats.
Gujarat faces consistent demand for medical seats; this expansion may ease competitive pressures during NEET 2025 Counselling, conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and admissions.
NMC will Not Consider These Colleges
Colleges directly linked to the CBI cases, those accused of bribery or unethical admissions, remain barred from any fresh approvals. This includes colleges where inspections revealed critical non-compliance with faculty, hospital, or infrastructural standards.
Earlier, NMC had also cancelled seat approval at 6 medical colleges directly linked to CBI investigation in medical education scam.
National Context
- Enforcement Actions: In Karnataka, the NMC issued show-cause notices to 22 government medical colleges for failure to meet norms. Recognitions were renewed conditionally, with new seat expansion proposals stalled until infrastructure deficits are resolved.
- In reply to a question in Parlisment, MoS, Health Ministry, Ms Patel confirms that NMC had issued notices to 71 West Bengal medical colleges in 2 Years.
- Stipend Compliance: National data reveals over 60 institutes have not paid full student stipends, prompting repeated warnings from NMC, though actual penalties remain rare.
Proposals for new colleges and MBBS seat increases, pending inspection compliance, are expected to be processed soon. Gujarat and other states are likely to accelerate infrastructure upgrades and faculty recruitments to meet NMC norms.
Increased seats may reduce competition and bring relief to tens of thousands of applicants in the upcoming NEET UG counselling sessions.
The NMC’s latest decision tries to make balance between reinforcing accountability and ensuring the expansion of medical education remains on track. States like Gujarat may particularly benefit, provided the new approvals comply with essential standards and pass stringent scrutiny.
