In its 167th Report submitted to the Rajya Sabha, the committee urged the NITI Aayog Committee to expedite its recommendations for the rollout of NExT in line with the originally envisaged timeline. Emphasising the long-term impact of the exam, the panel noted that a common exit test would ensure consistent academic and clinical competencies among MBBS graduates, irrespective of the institution or region where they are trained.
AIIMS-Led Zonal Mentorship Model Endorsed
Alongside the push for NExT, the parliamentary panel strongly endorsed an AIIMS-led mentorship model to strengthen quality assurance in medical education. Under this proposed framework, the country would be divided into zones, with premier institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) acting as mentor institutes.
These mentor institutions would oversee and guide newly established and private medical colleges, ensuring adherence to academic standards, infrastructure norms, and faculty quality. The committee stressed that such a mentorship-driven approach is essential to maintain uniformity in education standards amid the rapid expansion of medical colleges across India.
Regional Imbalances in Medical Seats Flagged
The committee raised serious concerns over stark regional disparities in the availability of medical seats. While the national average stands at approximately 75 MBBS seats per million population, some states remain severely underserved. Bihar, for instance, has only 21 seats per million population, whereas Puducherry has an exceptionally high concentration of around 2,000 seats per million population.
Terming these imbalances unacceptable, the panel called for urgent corrective measures. It directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to frame clear and targeted guidelines for setting up new medical colleges in underserved regions, including densely populated areas such as Delhi, where seat availability does not match population requirements.
Fee Regulation and Financial Safeguards for Students
The committee also highlighted the growing burden of exorbitant fees in private medical colleges. To address this, it recommended firm fee caps ranging between ₹60 lakh and ₹1 crore for MBBS courses in private institutions.
Further, it suggested:
- Mandatory state-structured quotas covering 50% of seats in private colleges
- Provision of need-based scholarships
- Regulated fee structures to prevent commercialisation of medical education
These measures, the panel said, are necessary to ensure equitable access to medical education for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Faculty Shortages and Ghost Faculty Concerns
Addressing the persistent issue of faculty shortages, the committee backed a multipronged approach that includes:
- Incentives to attract and retain qualified faculty
- Implementation of biometric attendance systems to curb the problem of “ghost faculty”
- Streamlining the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) licensing and assessment process
The panel also stressed the need to expand domestic medical education capacity to reduce reliance on foreign medical degrees and improve India’s doctor-to-population ratio in a sustainable manner.
Way Forward
Reaffirming its commitment to systemic reform, the Parliamentary Standing Committee underscored that timely implementation of NExT, structured mentorship by premier institutions, equitable seat distribution, strict fee regulation, and faculty strengthening are critical to safeguarding the future of medical education and healthcare delivery in India.