It is being reported that the Union Government has roped in the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad to revamp the functioning of the National Medical Commission (NMC).
According to a report by Mint, a senior faculty member of the apex management education institute has spoken to the four boards of the commission — the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) and Medical Assessment Rating Board (MARB) — to prepare a report that addresses the challenges faced by the commission in its daily functioning, and recommends measures to close these gaps.
The medical community in India reacted positively to this development, saying that the recommendations could help mitigate long-standing discrepancies in the functioning and conduct of the NMC.
“The NMC, as it stands currently, is struggling to operate the healthcare system in India. This is especially evident in how medical exams are conducted,” says Dr Dhruv Chauhan, a medical activist.
Last year, both the undergraduate version (NEET-UG) and postgraduate version (NEET-PG) of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test were subject to controversy, with allegations of a paper leak in the former leading to a nationwide agitation, and allegations of lack of transparency & the exam pattern plaguing the latter.
Dr Chauhan alleges that in the face of these controversies and even otherwise, the NMC was not able to do much to address the concerns of medical students and aspirants.
“The NMC has become extremely inaccessible to the students, and their grievance redressal mechanisms are dysfunctional. Even their helplines don’t work properly,” he said.
This revamp, he hopes, would make the NMC more accessible to medical students.
Revamping the NMC would have ripple effects on the functioning of the whole sector of India, some experts opine.
According to Dr Dilip Bhanushali, National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), this move could led to the filling of teaching staff positions in medical colleges and teaching hospitals.
“The government keeps setting up new hospitals but does not hire faculty. Without teachers, how can they expect these hospitals to function?” he asks.
He adds that while he welcomes any recommendations to improve the functioning of the NMC, these changes should be far-sighted, and implemented judiciously and with transparency.
“Any new recommendations must be for the long-term development of our healthcare system. We don’t want to see new guidelines every six months,” he said.
This development follows reports of vacancies across the four boards of the NMC, which lacked both full-time members and part-time members since September 2024.
According to The Telegraph, only the PGMEB had a working president, with the post in the remaining boards vacant.
In addition, replies to Right to Information (RTI) queries by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare revealed that the posts of NMC secretary, three board presidents, and whole-time and part-time members of all four boards were vacant.
Officials told Mint that the plan is still under consideration, and yet to be finalised.
