NMC Vacancies 2025: The National Medical Commission (NMC), India’s apex medical regulatory authority, has been grappling with significant leadership gaps across its four autonomous boards. Recently, Chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth has confirmed that the process to fill these vacancies is now officially underway.
What Positions Remain Vacant?
Dr Sheth, in an exclusive PTI interview, acknowledged vacancies in critical leadership roles:
- Presidents of the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) remain unfilled.
- Several whole-time and part-time members across the NMC’s boards are yet to be appointed.
Earlier this year, the Union MoS for Health, Anupriya Patel, had informed the Rajya Sabha that out of 19 sanctioned positions, many were vacant, including the presidents of UGMEB, Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), and EMRB.
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New NMC Appointments
- Dr Abhijat Sheth, a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and former President of the National Board of Examinations (NBE), took office as NMC Chairperson last month.
- Dr M.K. Ramesh, former Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), was appointed President of the MARB. He had earlier served as President of the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB).
How Will NMC Operate Amid Ongoing Vacancies?
Dr Sheth emphasised that despite the gaps, NMC operations remain robust:
“We have the president of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), myself, and a very strong admin team in place. Since these responsibilities have been entrusted to me, we will ensure that the operations do not suffer and the necessary reforms are initiated.”
He added that the filling of all remaining posts is expected to be completed within the next couple of months.
Read Also: NMC Not to Freeze New Medical Colleges or MBBS Seats 2025
Why Filling These Vacancies is Important
A report from The Wire highlighted that, as far back as November 2024:
- Only the PGMEB had a functioning president.
- Posts for presidents of UGMEB, MARB, and EMRB were vacant.
- Whole-time and part-time member roles across the board remained unfilled.
Moreover, these key roles had been vacant for over four months, raising concerns about governance and decision-making efficacy.
Not having full leadership in place can hamper regulatory functions like:
- Accreditation of medical colleges
- Curriculum reforms
- Inspection and rating processes
- Enforcement of ethical practices
With the appointments of Dr Sheth and Dr Ramesh, and administrative continuity ensured, the focus now shifts to:
- Timely filling of all vacant positions (presidents, members, part-time members)
- Smooth execution of accreditation, postgraduate reforms, and regulatory functions
- Ensuring that the reform agenda remains uninterrupted despite earlier governance gaps
The NMC has taken significant strides by appointing a confident leadership team and restarting the process to fill critical vacancies. While governance gaps remain, the stated timeline of “the next couple of months” for completing appointments offers hope that India’s premier medical regulatory body will soon be fully staffed and better positioned to fulfil its mandate.