In a high-profile compliance action, the NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) revoked the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted to the medical college to run 50 MBBS seats for the2025-26 academic year, citing serious lapses in meeting mandatory infrastructure, faculty, and minimum standards. Consequently, students enrolled for the current session are being shifted to other approved medical colleges to allow continuity of their education.
A Growing Pattern of Regulatory Enforcement
While regulatory checks are essential to maintain academic and clinical standards across India’s sprawling medical education ecosystem, critics argue that the timing and communication of compliance evaluations often leave students in precarious positions. Thousands of NEET-qualified students — who invest years of preparation and significant financial resources — face sudden uncertainty when inspections uncover institutional deficiencies after admissions have concluded.
Legal experts and student advocates have also drawn attention to the broader context of non-compliance within medical education. The NMC has issued show-cause notices to hundreds of medical colleges for failing to submit stipend details to students and regulatory bodies despite Supreme Court directions, with little visible action taken against repeat offenders.
Furthermore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches across 10 Indian states tied to an alleged bribery case involving medical colleges and some regulatory officials, underscoring concerns around integrity in inspection processes and approvals.
Impact on Students’ Mental Health and Finances
When colleges fail to comply with NMC norms — ranging from infrastructure deficiencies to stipend violations and faculty shortages — students often face more than academic interruption. Financial hardship, anxiety over academic progression, and relocation costs weigh heavily on families, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds. The emotional toll of disrupted education — after clearing highly competitive exams like NEET — has become a pressing concern among student unions and mental health advocates.
Calls for Systemic Reforms
Stakeholders argue that while stringent regulation is necessary to ensure quality medical education, the execution of compliance mechanisms needs to be more transparent, timely, and student-centric. Proposals include conducting final compliance inspections prior to counselling, increased public disclosure of colleges’ compliance statuses, and protective policies for students in the event of institutional de-recognition.
Experts also stress that stronger accountability measures are needed to ensure existing regulations — including stipend payments, faculty standards, and infrastructure benchmarks — are enforced consistently, rather than simply issuing notices without follow-through.