India’s National Medical Commission (NMC) has identified significant irregularities in student admissions for the 2024-25 academic year, leading to an urgent directive for all medical colleges to review their student data. This action follows an ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged corruption within the NMC, according to a report by Mint.

The NMC's Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) discovered that several medical colleges submitted inaccurate student information, including non-existent student IDs.

The regulator issued a public notice detailing specific entry numbers where these discrepancies were found, underscoring the extent of the issue.

Seven-day deadline for corrections

To address these problems, the NMC has mandated a seven-day period for colleges and students to report discrepancies.

Colleges are required to verify the accuracy of their student records, while students whose names are missing from the admission lists are urged to contact their respective college, the Directorate of Medical Education, or the counselling authority immediately.

This directive follows the NMC's earlier request in May for all colleges to submit lists of admitted MBBS students to establish an official record. The identification of “wrong entries” has raised significant concerns about the integrity of the admission process.

Concerns over merit violations

An official with knowledge of the matter, who wished not to be named, suggested that while some errors might be unintentional, many are likely deliberate. “Such issues are largely reported in private medical colleges,” the official said, noting that some institutions may be admitting students with significantly lower ranks, bypassing merit-based criteria, stated the report.

The official emphasised that the NMC's system for collecting and verifying admission data is a critical step to ensure only eligible candidates are admitted.

Penalties for non-compliance

The NMC has warned that failure to correct these errors could result in severe consequences. “If colleges don't fix these errors, they could face stiff penalties, including the cancellation of double the number of MBBS seats in the next academic year,” the official stated.

The official added that monetary fines are less effective as a deterrent compared to the loss of seats.

Growth in medical education sector

The issue comes at a time when India’s medical education sector is expanding rapidly. The number of medical colleges has grown from 387 in 2014 to 779 in 2025.

MBBS seats have also increased by 39% since the 2020-21 academic year, rising from 83,275 to 1,15,900.

With 1.38 million registered allopathic doctors in India, ensuring a transparent and error-free admissions process is increasingly vital.