New Delhi: India’s top medical education regulator has flagged serious irregularities in student admissions for the 2024-25 academic year, prompting an urgent directive for all medical colleges to re-examine their student data. The move by the National Medical Commission (NMC) comes amid an ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged corruption within the body itself.
The NMC's Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) found that numerous medical colleges had submitted incorrect student information, including student IDs that simply don’t exist. In a public notice, the regulator listed a series of specific entry numbers where these errors were found, highlighting the scale of the problem.
To fix these issues, the NMC has given all medical colleges and students seven days to report any discrepancies. The regulator said that colleges must ensure that their student records are accurate, while students who have been admitted but whose names are missing from the list are urged to contact their respective college, the Directorate of Medical Education, or the counselling authority immediately.
This call to action follows the NMC's request in May that all colleges submit lists of admitted MBBS students to verify and maintain an official record. The discovery of these “wrong entries” has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the admission process.
An official with knowledge of the matter, who wished not to be named, said that while some errors could be accidental, it's more likely that colleges are admitting students who don't meet the merit criteria. “Such issues are largely reported in private medical colleges,” the official said, adding that some institutions may be admitting students with significantly lower ranks.
The official explained that the NMC's system of collecting and verifying admission data is a key measure to ensure that only eligible candidates are admitted.
“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 warned. Monetary fines, the official noted, are less of a deterrent than losing seats.
This issue has come to light as India's medical education sector continues to grow. There are now 779 medical colleges compared to 387 in 2014. The number of MBBS seats has also risen by 39% since the 2020-21 academic year, from 83,275 to 115,900 by 2025.
With 1.38 million registered allopathic doctors in India, the need for a transparent and error-free admissions process has never been more critical.
Queries sent to the health ministry and NMC spokesperson remained unanswered.