New medical colleges may no longer need state approval under NMC draft

Under the draft regulations, institutions seeking to establish a new medical college will only need a valid Consent of Affiliation (CoA) from a recognised university and approval from the NMC. At present, applicants must first obtain an essentiality certificate and an NOC from the state government before approaching the commission.

Mumbai: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a major overhaul of the approval process for new medical colleges, removing the requirement for an essentiality certificate and no-objection certificate (NOC) from state governments.

New medical colleges may no longer need state approval under NMC draft

Under the draft regulations, institutions seeking to establish a new medical college will only need a valid Consent of Affiliation (CoA) from a recognised university and approval from the NMC. At present, applicants must first obtain an essentiality certificate and an NOC from the state government before approaching the commission.

The proposed amendments to the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023 delete Clauses 9(a) and 9(c), which mandate the essentiality certificate and state NOC. Clause 9(b) has been revised to make a valid CoA from a recognised university mandatory.

The draft also tightens infrastructure norms, requiring institutions to complete all infrastructure and statutory requirements before submitting an application. Temporary arrangements for college or hospital buildings will not be permitted, and applications from institutions with incomplete or under-construction infrastructure will not be considered.

The draft further proposes stricter action against institutions that submit incomplete applications or attempt to influence the NMC or MARB during the approval process. Such applications could be rejected outright.

The NMC has invited public comments on the draft before finalising the regulations.

A former dean of a medical college said the changes would make approval for new institutions primarily dependent on university affiliation and NMC assessment, significantly reducing the role of state governments. “The essential certificate issued by the state verifies the need for a medical college in a region and confirms the availability of adequate clinical material and patient load,” he said.

A retired professor from a Mumbai medical college said the move could help address the growing demand for medical education by making it easier to establish new colleges. However, he cautioned that the NMC must ensure quality standards are not compromised and guard against the unchecked proliferation of medical colleges, similar to what happened with engineering colleges.