NMC proposes single licence for doctors to practise across India

NMC proposes single licence for doctors to practise across India

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI. 20.08.2026

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a registration system under which a medical practitioner, once registered with a State Medical Council and allotted a Unique Identification (UID) number in the National Medical Register, would be eligible to practise across India without obtaining fresh registration or a licence in another State.

The proposal is part of the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified by the NMC on August 11. The NMC has invited objections and suggestions for 30 days from the date of notification. Under the proposed system, the State Medical Council would continue to scrutinise applications and grant registration and the licence for doctors to practise, but the approval would be reflected in both the State Medical Register and the National Medical Register.

Self-financing medical, dental college fee details released

Self-financing medical, dental college fee details released

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai. 16.08.2026

Tamil Nadu’s Selection Committee has put up the fee details of self-financing medical and dental colleges as a part of the ongoing counselling for MBBS/BDS courses, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive for mandatory pre-counselling disclosure of fees. It had directed that all private/deemed universities should mandatorily disclose their fees, detailing tuition, hostel, caution deposit, and miscellaneous charges.

Manickavel Arumugam, education counsellor, said: “It is a welcome move that the State Selection Committee has finally released the fee details for private colleges. This transparency is highly commendable and will empower students to make informed choices. However, the disclosure still lacks clarity in a few areas. It is not clearly mentioned whether certain components are one-time charges or recurring annual fees. For example, the ‘other fees’ of ₹1,77,500 listed by one institution does not specify if it is a one-time payment or a yearly requirement.”

Among State private universities, the hostel fee ranged from ₹1,10,000 to ₹3,25,000 per year. The fee structure in one of the institutions varies according to room type. The mess fee ranged from ₹10,000 to ₹18,000 per month. Some of these institutions also charged other fees such as development fee of ₹60,000, university fee of ₹40,000, examination fee of ₹30,000, and books/basic materials at ₹1,40,000 per year.

Among private medical colleges, the hostel fee ranged from ₹1,250 to ₹25,000 per month (depending on room type and monthly/yearly charges). The mess fee ranged from ₹9,000 to ₹22,500 per month, while it was lesser in one or two colleges.

NMC plans to tighten norms to make MBBS colleges fully ready before admissions

NMC plans to tighten norms to make MBBS colleges fully ready before admissions 

EDUCATION TIMES 06.08.2026

Regulations require complete academic and teaching hospital facilities before permissions are granted, abolishing the State-issued Essentiality Certificate

 Divyansh Kumar | Posted August 03, 2026 01:00 PM

First-year MBBS students may no longer have to study in colleges with half-built anatomy halls, under-equipped labs, or temporary teaching hospitals. To strengthen the quality of medical education, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed draft amendments that would require aspiring medical colleges to complete all academic and hospital infrastructure before applying for regulatory approval, effectively ending the practice of admitting students while facilities are still under construction.

Medical educators have welcomed the proposed ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to incomplete infrastructure, saying it could substantially improve the learning experience from the very first day of medical training. However, questions remain over whether the reforms could slow down the expansion of medical colleges and lead to a greater concentration of institutions in urban centres.

The proposed draft amendments to the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023 represent one of the most significant overhauls of the approval framework since the NMC replaced the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI). Besides mandating 100% infrastructure readiness, the draft proposes abolishing the State-issued Essentiality Certificate, introducing a mandatory institutional corpus fund, requiring solvency certificates verified by CAs, expanding the list of eligible applicants, and prescribing stricter penalties for incomplete applications or attempts to influence the approval process.

Explaining the rationale behind the changes, an NMC official tells Education Times that the objective is to make the approval mechanism more objective, transparent and quality-oriented. “The amendments are intended to further strengthen the regulatory framework for establishment of new medical colleges by making the approval process more objective, transparent and quality-oriented. The emphasis is on ensuring that essential infrastructure and institutional readiness are in place before applications are considered, thereby reducing avoidable deficiencies and facilitating a more efficient assessment process,” the official says.

Infrastructure Gap

For faculty members, the proposal directly addresses a longstanding concern that students often bear the consequences of infrastructure deficiencies during the crucial first year of training. “The first year lays the foundation for the entire medical career as students require well-equipped anatomy dissection halls, physiology and biochemistry laboratories, libraries, skills laboratories and digital learning facilities from the very first day,” says Dr Roy R Chandran, professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Government Medical College, Kozhikode. He adds that when infrastructure is incomplete, practical teaching suffers, faculty spend valuable time overcoming logistical challenges instead of focusing on academics, and students lose confidence in the quality of their training.

Welcoming the proposal to prohibit temporary hospital arrangements during inspections, stressing that medical education is fundamentally patient-centred, Dr Chandran says, “A teaching hospital develops its academic culture over time. It has established departments, multidisciplinary teams, standard treatment protocols, adequate patient load and regular academic activities. Temporary hospitals created merely to satisfy inspection requirements cannot replicate this environment. If we expect to produce competent doctors, the teaching hospital must be fully functional from the very beginning, not just on the day of inspection.”

State Stake

One of the most debated proposals remains the abolition of the State-issued Essentiality Certificate, a mandate that historically allowed state governments to assess the requirement of a new medical college in a particular region. While the NMC argues that removing the certificate will simplify approvals, experts caution that it could encourage private investment to concentrate in already developed urban markets. “Dispensing with the Essentiality Certificate is intended to simplify the regulatory process while retaining the Commission’s focus on academic, clinical and infrastructural standards,” says the NMC official.

Clinical learning depends on adequate patient exposure, and if more medical colleges are clustered in the same city, they compete for the same patient population. “This can reduce the diversity and volume of clinical cases available to each student. Expansion should be guided by regional healthcare needs rather than simply increasing the number of colleges, rather than adding that strengthening existing government hospitals may often deliver greater benefits than opening new institutions,” adds Dr Chandran.

NMC draft amendment scraps essentiality certificate requirement for setting up new medical colleges

NMC draft amendment scraps essentiality certificate requirement for setting up new medical colleges 

Written By : Barsha Misra Published On 4 Aug 2026 4:30 PM | Updated On 4 Aug 2026 4:30 PM

New Delhi: Under the new amendment introduced to the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, approval from the State government may no longer be required for setting up new medical colleges.

While earlier, obtaining an essentiality certificate from the State was mandatory for setting up a new medical college, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed this requirement under the proposed Establishment of New Medical Institutions Assessment & Rating (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.

According to the proposed amendment, a Consent of Affiliation (CoA) letter obtained from a recognized university, issued in the name of the applicant/ the Medical College/ the entity in writing, is required.

Also Read: NMC draft amendment bars approval for new medical colleges, courses, seat hike without complete infrastructure

Under the 2023 regulations, Clause 9 specifies the documents that the applicant medical college needs to submit to the Commission. Previously, the following documents were required:

a. Essentiality Certificate (EC) issued by the concerned State Government or Union Territory administration or the appropriate authority as the case may be unless otherwise specified. The EC shall be valid at the time of application; and

b. A Consent of Affiliation (CoA) letter obtained from a recognized university, issued in the name of the applicant entity in writing. The CoA shall be valid at the time of application; and

c. Documentary proof indicating the establishment of a corpus fund by the entity dedicatedly applicable to functioning of the new medical institution year after year; and

d. A solvency certificate issued by a Chartered Accountant within ninety days prior to the last date of submission of the application as mandated by the Notification issued by the MARB; and

e. Documents by way of proof that such reasonable area of land is either owned or arranged under lease or such other arrangement by the eligible entity; and

f. Capabilities with regard to the provision of required basic infrastructure, administrative and financial support of the applicant, if the eligible entity is other than Central or a State Government or Union Territory administration; and

g. Documentary proof of owning or running a hospital of required capacity as indicated in the MSRs.

h. Proof indicating remittance of prescribed application fee and bank guarantee; and

i. Any such other documents are to be notified from time to time by the MARB.

NMC has proposed to remove clause 9 (a)- therefore removing the need for an essentiality certificate. Modifying clause 9 (b), the Commission has proposed that a Consent of Affiliation (CoA) letter obtained from a recognized university, issued in the name of the applicant/ the Medical College/ the entity in writing, will be required.

Clause 9 (c) has also been deleted- therefore the documentary proof indicating the establishment of corpus fund by the entity dedicatedly applicable to the functioning of the new medical institution year after year may also no longer be required.

The Commission has further proposed that Clause 9(d) shall be amended as: A solvency certificate based on the last completed financial year issued by a Chartered Accountant within ninety days prior to the last date of invitation of the application.

It added that (9) Clause 9 (k) shall be inserted as:" Infrastructure and other statutory requirements as per the regulations shall be complete at the time of application. Temporary arrangement for the Hospital and college building shall not be permitted. A work-in-progress status of the applicant institute shall not be considered for further processing of the application."

Long hours hurting resident docs’ mental health, NMC tells SC

Long hours hurting resident docs’ mental health, NMC tells SC

TNN | Aug 2, 2026, 05.17 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Long and crushing working hours have become a serious challenge for resident doctors, causing them psychological distress and mental health problems. Flagging the issue in an affidavit before Supreme Court, National Medical Commission (NMC) has stressed that reasonable working hours and time for rest are a must for their wellbeing and proper functioning, as well as proper patient care. It, however, expressed its inability to ensure the same, saying the matter falls within the domain of central and state health authorities.

In the affidavit filed in response to a PIL by a group of doctors seeking healthy working conditions, the commission placed the findings of its task force, which had projected a grim picture of what doctors have to endure.

“The demanding schedules, including long and multiple 24-hour duties (sometimes 3-5 consecutive duties), were significant stressors for most post graduate doctors. These extended hours without adequate rest led to physical and mental exhaustion, negatively impacting their performance and health,” commission said, referring to the report.

Doctors’ organisation ‘United Doctors Front’ had approached the court demanding healthy working conditions, pointing out that cases of doctors’ suicides are on the rise and claiming that 150 such cases have been reported in five years.

No promotion, no pay rise: TN’s super specialty seats go begging

No promotion, no pay rise: TN’s super specialty seats go begging 

31.07.2026

Chennai: Govt doctors in Tamil Nadu are shunning super specialty training because the additional qualification brings no assured promotion, salary increase or posting in whichever field they train in, doctors’ associations said, leaving the state with hundreds of unfilled seats in disciplines critical to public hospitals. 

Supreme Court this week directed Tamil Nadu to surrender 151 unfilled super specialty seats to the Directorate General of Health Services, triggering a political tug-of-war. While DMK accused the govt of failing to defend the seats, the ruling TVK said the order protects the state’s claim if cut-offs are lowered. But doctors’ bodies say the deeper question remains unanswered: why would a govt doctor spend years in advanced training if the job that follows does not change? 

Records show that 119 seats in 2024 and 145 seats in 2025 were surrendered to All India Quota during the previous regime. “We are an army of more than 20,000 doctors. If seats are vacant, it is because the govt has failed to expand specialist care in govt hospitals,” said Service Doctors and Post Graduate Association general secretary A Ramalingam. 

Doctors who complete a DM or MCh course say the state does not consistently reward that training through promotions, adequate pay rises or appointments in their specialty. Tamil Nadu Govt Doctors Association, welcoming SC judgment, said the govt must increase at least 350 super specialty seats if it wants to place doctors where they are needed. “We must have a wide range of specialists in all medical colleges. 

Without opportunities, it will be difficult to encourage govt doctors to study further,” said association state president A Srinivasan. Beyond pay and postings, mid-career doctors are also bound by service rules mandating them to remain in govt employment until retirement. Specialists in some branches say the workload is high, the risks are greater, and the incentives are too modest. 

TN Medical Officers Association said the loss of seats would eventually weaken public hospitals. “These posts and facilities are created by the state with taxpayers’ money. The quota exists because service doctors will serve in govt hospitals until superannuation,” said general secretary M Akilan.

Govt. simplifies NEET-UG counselling procedure

Govt. simplifies NEET-UG counselling procedure

J.P. Nadda

The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI. 30.07.2026

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness for the forthcoming NEET-UG counselling 2026.

The government has introduced several technology-enabled and student-centric reforms aimed at enhancing transparency in counselling, improving accessibility and simplifying the admission process.

One of the key reforms is the introduction of a one-time physical reporting framework aimed at reducing the need for repeated visits. Following seat allotment, candidates will be able to exercise their willingness online by selecting either the ‘Freeze or Float’ option.

Those opting for the freeze option will physically report to their allotted institute within the prescribed schedule to complete admission formalities, including verification of documents and payment of the admission fee.

Those opting for the float option for participating in subsequent rounds for upgradation will be able to complete admission formalities through the online mode within the stipulated timeline.

During this period, they will not be required to physically report to the allotted institute, submit original documents or pay the admission fee. Their provisional admission will remain valid while participating in subsequent counselling rounds.

The upgradation facility will remain available up to the third round of counselling. After completion of the third round, candidates holding allotted seats will report physically to their institutions for verification of original documents, payment of admission fees and completion of institutional formalities.

Online resignation

Candidates wishing to forego their allotted seat will now be able to submit their resignation through the MCC Counselling Portal without the need to visit the allotted institute.

Special emphasis has been placed on improving accessibility for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD). The Ministry has fully digitised the admission process under the NRI category. The review also highlighted several steps to strengthen operational efficiency, including online document verification, validation of the seat matrix by the National Medical Commission and verification by participating institutes.

Govt. should explain surrender of 151 super speciality seats: Stalin

Govt. should explain surrender of 151 super speciality seats: Stalin

M.K. Stalin

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI. 30.07.2026

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday demanded that the TVK-led government explain why it had failed to retain 151 super speciality medical seats in the State, resulting in their transfer to the all-India quota.

“It is a vital issue for Tamil Nadu. We have lost 151 super speciality seats, which would have otherwise produced doctors to serve the State,” he said in a social media post.

Mr. Stalin also questioned why the government had not adopted a resolution in the Assembly, opposing the transfer of the super speciality seats to the all-India quota. “Why did the government fail to file an appeal against the Supreme Court’s order dated May 29, 2026,” he asked.

He further questioned why the advocates appointed by the State government had failed to appear in the case, and why there had been a delay in engaging a senior advocate. “Why has there been such a lackadaisical approach to this issue from the very beginning,” he asked.

Mr. Stalin also wondered why the State government had “surrendered” despite the case being in Tamil Nadu’s favour.

Minister responds

Responding to Mr. Stalin’s criticism, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj said that unlike in previous years, when unfilled super speciality seats were lost after being surrendered to the all-India quota, the TVK government had ensured that if the qualifying cut-off is reduced, 50% of the remaining vacant super speciality seats will be reverted to Tamil Nadu.

In a statement on X, the Minister said that previously, after the completion of the super speciality counselling, all unfilled seats reserved for service candidates were surrendered to the all-India quota. The Union government later reduced the minimum qualifying cut-off marks and filled those seats through the all-India merit list. As a result, government doctors from Tamil Nadu were severely affected, he said.

This year, though 151 seats remained vacant, the State government refused to surrender them immediately. It took a firm stand that these seats would be surrendered only if there is an assurance that the qualifying cut-off would not be reduced. Accordingly, the State pursued a legal battle and secured a “historic” judgment from the Supreme Court, he added.

M.G.R. medical varsity challenges UGC regulations on according ‘deemed university’ status to private colleges

M.G.R. medical varsity challenges UGC regulations on according ‘deemed university’ status to private colleges

The university said the UGC regulations should be interpreted only as a directory and not a mandatory provision.

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI. 30.07.2026

The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University has moved the Madras High Court, challenging the validity of the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations that permit the grant of deemed-to-be-university status to private medical colleges without the express consent of the State university.

The university has also challenged the grant of such status to the Pudukottai-based Karpaga Vinayaga Educational Trust on May 20, 2026.

Court orders notice

The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan on Wednesday ordered notices to the Union Ministry of Education, the UGC, the Tamil Nadu government, and the private trust, seeking their response to the two writ petitions filed by the State medical university.

The petitioner university contended that the UGC regulations, which require a State university to respond within 60 days to an application filed by a medical college for being accorded the deemed university status, failing which it would be considered that there was no objection for the conferment of such status, should be interpreted only as a directory and not a mandatory provision.

The university said the UGC regulations should be interpreted only as a directory and not a mandatory provision.

NMC to focus on ability, not just disability MBBS Admission:

NMC to focus on ability, not just disability MBBS Admission: 

New Guidelines Mandate Case-By-Case Assessment

 Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 29.07.2026

New Delhi : Students with benchmark disabilities seeking admission to MBBS courses will now undergo an individual assessment of their functional abilities to determine whether they can acquire essential competencies required for the course with reasonable accommodation. 

National Medical Commission (NMC) on Monday issued new guidelines requiring medical boards to evaluate each candidate’s functional ability rather than relying solely on the type or extent of disability. 

Under the new framework, NMC-regulated medical colleges will now also have to set up an “enabling unit” for students with benchmark disabilities, providing a single point of contact for reasonable accommodation, academic and clinical support, and a barrierfree learning environment. Designated medical assessment boards will carry out an individual assessment of every candidate. 

The guidelines state that applicants cannot be declared ineligible solely on the basis of their diagnosis or the percentage of benchmark disability. Instead, boards must assess a candidate’s functional abilities, the essential competencies required under competency-based medical education curriculum, and whether reasonable accommodation can enable them to complete the course. 

“After Supreme Court’s constant follow-up and directions, NMC has amended its interim guidelines and issued revised guidelines for MBBS admissions of students with disabilities,” said Prof Satendra Singh, coordinator UCMS and GTB Hospital’s enabling unit. 

“The biggest change is the shift from assessing eligibility on the basis of the percentage of disability to evaluating functional competency. Clinical accommodations are reasonable modifications that enable medical students with benchmark disability to participate in clinical training and patient care without compromising academic standards or patient safety,” the coordinator said. The guidelines also require medical boards to consider assistive devices, adaptive technology, communication support and other reasonable accommodations before arriving at a decision. 

While emphasising inclusion, NMC has said patient safety will remain an important consideration. On enabling units, NMC directed that these should be set up in compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the recent SC directions aimed at ensuring inclusive medical education. The unit will also receive and address requests for disability-specific accommodations during the course of study, including clinical training and internship, according to the circular.

NMC ends routine faculty eligibility clearances, puts onus on colleges

NMC ends routine faculty eligibility clearances, puts onus on colleges

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 

New Delhi : 19.07.2026

Medical colleges across the country will now decide faculty appointments and promotions on their own, with National Medical Commission (NMC) ending routine eligibility clearances. Only exceptional cases involving regulatory ambiguity will be taken up by regulator for a non-refundable fee of Rs 25,000 plus GST. 

The decision comes after the regulator observed that a large number of requests from faculty members, medical colleges, universities and NBEMS-accredited hospitals were being referred to it despite the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, clearly laying down the qualifications, teaching experience, research publication and training requirements for teaching posts. 

Officials said the responsibility for deciding whether a candidate is eligible for. promotion or designation rests with the appointing authority, medical institution or university concerned. Accordingly, Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) will no longer entertain cases where eligibility can be decided directly under the regulations. 

Only cases involving genuine ambiguity, difficulty in interpreting regulations, equivalence of qualifications or transitional provisions will be considered by PGMEB. Such references must be routed through the dean, director, principal or registrar of the institution with supporting documents.

Individuals may approach NMC directly only if their institution fails to forward a genuine case within 60 days, after fulfilling the prescribed conditions and paying the stipulated fee.

 “Many candidates approached the NMC even in straightforward cases because an NMC eligibility certificate was rarely questioned,” MARB president Prof M K Ramesh told TOI. NMC has also introduced a review mechanism for applicants dissatisfied with an institution’s decision.

NMC moves to allow for-profit med colleges Non Profit Tag May No Longer Be Mandatory

NMC moves to allow for-profit med colleges Non Profit Tag May No Longer Be Mandatory

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 18.07.2026

For-profit medical colleges may become a reality if the draft amendments to National Medical Commission’s (NMC) regulations for establishing a new medical college go through.

The proposed amendments to Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023, which were placed in the public domain on July 13, include one that will allow companies with the primary objective of profit generation to become eligible to establish medical colleges or medical institutions. Objections and suggestions to the draft are to be submitted within 30 days.

The 2023 regulation allowed only “Section 8 companies” to establish medical colleges. Under Section 8 of Companies Act, such a company is a non-profit organisation in which surpluses can only be reinvested in charitable objectives. The amendment will allow all companies incorporated under Companies Act, 2013, to start medical colleges.

In Jan 2017, the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) amended Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999, to allow all companies registered under Companies Act, 1956, to be listed among organisations permitted to set up a medical college.

The same amendment notification also allowed any autonomous body/society/trust to be converted into a company. However, MCI was disbanded and replaced by NMC, constituted in Sept 2019. The fresh regulations for establishment of medical colleges drafted by NMC allowed only Section 8 companies to set up colleges.

In May 2017, Vedanta, the mining conglomerate, established the first private limited medical college, Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, in Palghar through the entity Vedantaa Institutes of Academic Excellence Private Limited. The institute wrote to Maharashtra govt that since it was registered as a private company, it was allowed to make profits and that its fees did not require approval of the state fee regulatory authority. Though the institute was later forced to submit to fee regulation, its fees remain among the highest among private medical colleges in the state ( ₹15.7 lakh for management seats in 2025), barring deemed university colleges.

Ironically, fees charged by deemed university medical colleges, which are established by trusts and societies and are supposed to be non-profit, are among the highest, and states do not have any quota of seats with lower fees in these institutions. Fees charged by these colleges are not controlled by any regulatory body.

GOING EXTRA MILE: The 2023 regulation allowed only ‘Section 8 companies’ to establish medical colleges

NMC adds 950 MBBS seats to state roster Clears Decks For 9,911 More Seats In India

NMC adds 950 MBBS seats to state roster Clears Decks For 9,911 More Seats In India

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 16.07.2026

Chennai : Medical colleges across Tamil Nadu together expanded MBBS seats by 950 this year, with 13 existing institutions raising their intake. A new private college, APS Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, was added to the roster with 150 seats, according to a seat matrix released by the National Medical Commission. 

The additions bring the state’s capacity to 13,999 seats across 78 medical colleges for the academic year 2026-27, up from 13,049 seats at 77 colleges. 

Across India, NMC has cleared the decks for 9,911 additional seats — including 2,111 seats in govt colleges. The list does not include central govt institutions such as AIIMS. Namakkal, Thiruvallur and Tirupur govt colleges each expanded their intake from 100 to 150 seats, adding 150 seats in the public sector, taking the seat tally in 37 govt colleges to 5,349. Among private institutions, NMC has permitted an increase of 800 seats, including the newcomer. 

Of these, 150 are added to three deemed universities. The remaining 650 will be added to the state matrix, for which the state selection committee will conduct admissions. The additions come as a consolation for a state that has lost 800 MBBS seats from its own counselling matrix after some self-financing colleges and private universities were granted deemed university status. Seats from at least four institutions are expected to be removed from the state list and included instead in the Central pool overseen by Medical Counselling Committee. 

Admission to deemed universities, conducted by the MCM, follows merit in NEET but has no reservations. The annual tuition fee is at about ₹20 lakh. In Tamil Nadu, selffinancing colleges and private universities offer up to 60% seats for govt quota, for which the selection committee follows 69% rule of reservation, and sets aside 7.5% seats for govt school students. 

The annual tuition fee varies from ₹4.35 lakh to ₹5.40 lakh for govt quota seats, and ₹15 lakh to ₹16.20 lakh for managementquota seats. The net effect may not be a squeeze, said a senior official. “150 seats in govt colleges and 650 from private colleges will be added in the state basket,” he added. Health minister K G Arunraj said the state is going ahead with negotiations and moving courts against the grant of deemed university status to some universities. “But the state will ensure new seats are added to the seat matrix,” he said.

NMC plans ban on medical seat hike if buildings not yet complete

NMC plans ban on medical seat hike if buildings not yet complete

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com   14.07.2026

REGULATORY TIGHTENING

New Delhi : Medical colleges will no longer be allowed to seek regulatory approval — for increasing MBBS seats — while their hospitals or academic buildings are still under construction, under amendments proposed by National Medical Commission (NMC). 

The draft regulations — to tighten norms for new medical colleges and MBBS seats —require institutions to have all prescribed infrastructure and statutory approvals in place before applying. Temporary arrangements for hospital and college buildings will no longer be permitted, and institutions with projects still under construction (“work-inprogress”) will not be considered for further processing. 

NMC has also proposed rejecting incomplete applications without giving institutions an opportunity to rectify deficiencies. Those applications lacking mandatory documents or other records specified by Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) will not be treated as valid proposals and may be rejected at the initial stage. 

Under the proposed amendments, applicants must submit a valid ‘consent of affiliation’ from a recognised university at the time of application. Solvency certificate based on the previous financial year, issued by a chartered accountant within 90 days before the application deadline, will also be mandatory.

In another significant change, new medical colleges, as well as those already functioning, will have to maintain a dedicated corpus fund for the operation of the institution. The amount will be decided by MARB and may be revised periodically, with colleges required to furnish documentary proof whenever asked. 

REGULATORY TIGHTENING

Med colleges repackage fees as NMC bars internship charges

Med colleges repackage fees as NMC bars internship charges 

Five-Year Fee Payable In 4.5 Years; Cost Unchanged 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   11.07.2026

Chennai : Medical colleges are complying with the National Medical Commission’s April 2026 order barring tuition charges for the mandatory one-year MBBS internship. But instead of reducing costs, institutions have spread the same five-year fee total, or a higher amount, over 4.5 years, raising annual instalments while the overall payout stays the same — or higher. 

A revised fee chart published on the website of a deemed university for its 250 seat MBBS programme illustrates the pattern. Annual tuition fee now stands at ₹25 lakh, billed every year for 4.5 years — a total of ₹1.12 crore — up from ₹21.97 lakh paid across five instalments ( ₹1.09 crore) under the earlier structure. 

Under the NRI quota, students now pay US$52,000 per year, again compressed into 4.5 annual cycles, against US$46,800 per year paid over five instalments earlier. 

Hostel fees ( ₹1.9 lakh for non-AC, ₹2.6 lakh for AC accommodation), transport ( ₹1 lakh for air-conditioned buses) and refundable caution deposits of ₹25,000 each for college and hostel remain unchanged from prior years. 

Another university, which had allowed students to pay ₹28 lakh per year for five years — a total of ₹1.40 crore — has now told parents that if the same amount is paid over 4.5 years, the annual instalment will exceed ₹31 lakh. A third college has told parents it will allow the 4.5 year fee to be paid in five instalments instead of four. 

“It is framed as flexibility, though it changes nothing for families financially,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. Fees for self-financing colleges and private universities are fixed by the state fee fixation committee, but there is no cap on fees charged by deemed universities. 

NMC said colleges cannot ask students to pay fees during their internship year. Last week, state health minister K G 1 Arunraj said the govt will ensure all medical colleges fell in line. “Complaints against management charging additional fees, or those not paying a stipend, can be made anonymously on the state helpline 104,” he said.

TN mulls legal action over deemed univ tag for med colleges

TN mulls legal action over deemed univ tag for med colleges 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 08.07.2026

Chennai : Tamil Nadu is considering legal action, including moving the Supreme Court early next week, after some medical colleges in the state were granted ‘deemed university’ status — a change that could wipe out state quota seats and reshape access to medical education across the region.

Officials said that while 650 MBBS seats are likely to be removed from the state’s seat matrix since allotments to deemed universities are handled by the Centre, three more colleges have told the govt that they are expected to be added to the list soon. These institutions will no longer be obligated to reserve seats for students admitted through the state’s counselling process. “This will mean at least 700 govt quota seats, and more than 50 seats meant for govt school students, will be affected,” a senior health department official said. 

On Tuesday, after day-long discussions with legal experts, a senior legal officer questioned how these institutions were granted the permission, since UGC norms for this status require a high NAAC grade across three cycles, or NBA accreditation for two thirds of programmes, or a top  100 overall or top-50 discipline-specific NIRF ranking for three consecutive years. 

While a legal challenge may take months to resolve, student counsellors and academicians have urged the govt to rein in fees at deemed institutions, as directed by the HC. The state has no control over fees charged by deemed universities, since they fall outside state fee committee’s purview. Under the existing structure, the committee fixed annual MBBS tuition for govt quota seats in self-financing colleges and private universities at ₹4.35 lakh to ₹5.40 lakh, and for management-quota seats at ₹15 lakh to ₹16.2 lakh. 

The Centre has not fixed tuition fees for deemed universities, which charge between ₹20 lakh and ₹35 lakh a year. “Earlier, an association of private universities moved the court to prevent this from being implemented. For some reason, that case was withdrawn. So the state or the Centre must now implement the high court order,” said N Narendran, a NEET coach.  If the govt cannot immediately regulate fees, experts want it to adopt Karnataka’s approach.

 “In Karnataka, deemed universities continue sharing seats with the state govt despite their elevated status. At least six of the 12 deemed universities share around 188 seats with the state quota, at fees ranging from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹6 lakh,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “That’s one way to ensure meritorious and govt school students passing out this year are not punished,” he said. 

“For many meritorious students from modest backgrounds, this is a critical pathway into medicine, as they can only afford subsidised, govt-regulated seats,” he added. The state medical university, meanwhile, is appealing to UGC and NMC, stating that it never issued a no-objection certificate for the change in affiliation to these institutions.

We need doctors in this country’: SC dismisses plea seeking cap on private medical college fees

We need doctors in this country’: SC dismisses plea seeking cap on private medical college fees

Court upholds Rajasthan HC order, refuses directions on fee regulation despite concerns over affordability for EWS candidates.

Petitioner argued annual fees of up to ₹25 lakh undermine EWS reservation benefits; court says issue falls within regulators’ domain.(File Photo | ANI)

Suchitra Kalyan Mohanty

Updated on:

25 Jun 2026, 7:56 am

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to interfere with the fee structure of the private medical colleges in Rajasthan, observing that “we need doctors in this country” while dismissing a petition that called the charges exorbitant.

A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi heard a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging a Rajasthan High Court order. The HC had earlier rejected a plea by a medical aspirant claiming annual tuition fees in private colleges range from `18.90 lakh to `25 lakh, which, he said, was inconsistent with the `8 lakh income cap for EWS reservation.

“We need doctors in this country,” said the top court while refusing to entertain a plea which alleged that the fee structure in private medical colleges in Rajasthan was exorbitant.

The counsel argued that high fees made MBBS unaffordable for EWS candidates despite quotas and urged the court to direct the state and Centre to cap fees at affordable levels.

The bench, however, declined to step in and refused to pass any order on the plea. “Medical education requires infrastructure, faculty, and equipment. Fee fixation is a policy decision for regulators,” it said while dismissing the plea.

Noting that fee regulation falls within the domain of the state authorities and bodies like the Medical Council, the SC clarified that judicial interference is warranted only if there is manifest illegality or arbitrariness, which was not shown here in this present case. “One person cannot say that it is exorbitant in private institutions and make it on par with government institutions,” the bench observed.

The bench observed that one has the option to avail a scholarship. “We need doctors in this country,” it said. “We don’t find any reason to interfere with the impugned order passed by the high court. The special leave petition is dismissed. Question of law, if any, is kept open,” the bench said.

With this, the SC upheld the High Court’s order. No directions were issued to the Centre, Rajasthan government, or MCI/NMC on fee caps.

The petitioner is a general category candidate, who possesses an EWS certificate. He felt aggrieved that the counseling board allocated him a seat in a private college despite he giving preference for 73 colleges.

He argued that EWS students were charged the same fee as other general category students, thus making medical education unaffordable to the EWS students. He also relied on a National Medical Commission notice, which stated that 50 per cent of seats in private colleges should be at par with government colleges.

Pvt colleges, deemed univs launch digi regn drives ahead of NEET counselling

Pvt colleges, deemed univs launch digi regn drives ahead of NEET counselling

Experts warn Of Backdoor Admissions, Fee Deals

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 25.06.2026

Chennai : Weeks before NEET counselling for undergraduate medical admissions begins, private medical colleges and deemed universities have quietly launched digital registration portals for MBBS aspirants — a practice academicians and student counsellors say has no legal standing and could pave the way for backdoor admissions and under-the-table fee arrangements. 

The registrations, once conducted discreetly on campuses, have now moved online. Under the existing regulatory framework, admissions to MBBS seats are governed exclusively by state and central counselling committees. After NEET-UG results are declared, the Medical Counselling Committee under the Directorate General of Health Services, New Delhi, allots candidates to central institutions, deemed universities and 15% of state medical college seats, based on merit in NEET, reservation norms and student preference. 

State committees allot candidates to the remaining 85% of govt seats and all seats in self-financing and state private colleges. Colleges are barred from directly admitting students. Yet, the portals ask prospective candidates to submit personal details — name, address, mobile number, NEET admit card number and scores. “Some parents assume early registration will help their children secure seats,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Colleges then meet parents, offer financial incentives such as fee discount of up tos 5 lakh a year and ask them to pay a part of the fee in advance. 

They also help them fill admission forms in ways that could steer allotments toward the college," he said. These arrangements can affect merit, he said.  

A parent said a college official promised a discount of up to 5 lakh a year — on annual fees that already run as high as 30 lakh — in exchange for early registration. “I decided to pay and pick the seat in the first round of counselling. But my son's teacher warned me I could lose the money,” said Varadharajan S, who works for an IT firm.

Philippines MD degree meets NMC norms: Indian Embassy

Philippines MD degree meets NMC norms: Indian Embassy 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

22.06.2026

The Indian Embassy in Manila has once again clarified that the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme offered by HEIs recognised by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines complies with key academic requirements prescribed under India’s Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, providing fresh clarity for Indian students considering medical education in the country. 

In an advisory issued recently, the embassy said CHED had informed that the MD programme offered by recognised institutions satisfies the NMC requirements, including a 54-month medical course, mandatory subjects prescribed by the NMC, English as the medium of instruction, and a compulsory 12-month internship conducted in the same institution or its affiliated hospital. 

The clarification comes amid growing interest among Indian students in overseas medical education and uncertainty over the recognition of foreign medical qualifications under India’s revised regulatory framework. The embassy further noted that House of Representatives of the Philippines adopted Resolution No. 73 in March 2026, endorsing that MD degrees awarded by CHED-recognised institutions are compliant with NMC norms. 

The resolution also states that graduates of these programmes, including foreign nationals, are eligible for practice of medicine in the Philippines after qualifying PLE and complying with immigration requirements

NMC flipflops, puts onus on minister for patient appeals

NMC flipflops, puts onus on minister for patient appeals

 5 Months Ago, Panel Had Said Will Hear Pleas 

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 12.06.2026

National Medical Commission (NMC) continues its flipflop over whether patients and their families should be allowed to file appeals before it. The commission decided in Sept 2024 that its ethics board would entertain all appeals, including those filed by nonmedicos, and confirmed this decision in Dec 2025. Five months later, in May, the commission’s ethics section claimed any interpretation of NMC Act’s provisions ought to be done by health ministry. “NMC had agreed that all appeals received by EMRB will be entertained. Further, as regards action not being taken by State Medical Councils on complaints filed by non-medicos even after issuance of reminders by the boards, it was decided to send acommunication by EMRB to State Medical Councils to complete the process in a timebound manner. 

In case of failure by the concerned SMC to act upon, EMRB may take over the complaint/matter from the SMC and dispose the same. This is noted by EMRB, and board will proceed further accordingly,” state minutes of the 16th meeting of NMC held on Sept 3, 2024, which were confirmed in the 17th meeting on Dec 16, 2025. However, NMC chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth, when asked why NMC, as an autonomous body, was seeking health ministry’s interpretation for what was decided in the NMC meeting, claimed wider stakeholder consultation and examination of statutory/regulatory provisions was going on. He added “NMC has not framed a SOP in this regard yet”. When the ministry was asked to intervene on behalf of patients to allow appeals before NMC, the ministry stated the commission was the apex statutory body constituted under NMC Act, 2019, for regulating medical education and profession in the country. “All matters relating to framing, amendment, and implementation of medical education regulations fall within the domain of NMC,” stated the ministry response. 

“There would be issues if unrestricted appeals are allowed and the members/experts are also deliberating regarding the need for a filtering mechanism. Meanwhile, patients and complainants are not left without remedies. They can also avail other legal remedies under applicable civil, criminal or consumer laws,” said Sheth. 

Since Sept 2020, when NMC was constituted, it has received 273 patient appeals against decisions of SMCs that have all been rejected. That’s barely 55 complaints a year or roughly one a week on average which, the chairperson claims, needs a filtering mechanism. NMC initially insisted that only doctors had the right to appeal before it. However, clause 8.8 of the ethics regulation of 2002, which is still in force, clearly allows patients and their families to appeal before NMC. The incorporation of this clause in the regulation was the result of a Supreme Court order.