The National Medical Commission has withdrawn the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, to remove overlapping procedures. It says annual disclosures, minimum standards, inspections and regulatory action against medical colleges will continue.The National Medical Commission has withdrawn the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, to remove overlapping procedures.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has said its decision to withdraw the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, will not weaken medical education standards or regulatory oversight, as reported by PTI.The commission said the regulations were de-notified on October 14 to remove overlapping procedures and align regulatory responsibilities with the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.NMC SEEKS TO REMOVE OVERLAPPING REGULATORY ROLESUnder the Act, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board and the Postgraduate Medical Education Board are primarily responsible for prescribing academic standards, minimum requirements and educational norms.The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) is empowered under Section 26 of the Act to assess and inspect medical institutions, verify compliance and take regulatory action against institutions found deficient. The de-notified regulations had created a parallel system of institutional evaluation, annual renewal and enforcement through the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education boards, leading to an overlap in regulatory functions.

Following judicial observations and a detailed examination of the legal framework, the NMC decided to remove this duplication, according to a statement cited by PTI.ANNUAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS TO REMAIN MANDATORYThe commission emphasised that Annual Disclosure Reports remain mandatory. Medical colleges will continue to submit annual information on faculty, infrastructure, clinical facilities, patient load and other prescribed parameters.

These disclosures will remain open to scrutiny and verification through MARB's assessment and inspection mechanisms. The NMC said any suggestion that these disclosures would become unverified claims was misplaced.All existing minimum requirements related to faculty, infrastructure, clinical material, teaching facilities, attendance and academic standards will continue to apply.

MARB will retain the authority to conduct assessments and inspections, including without prior notice where necessary, and act against institutions that fail to comply with the NMC Act and the Regulation of the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023.PAST VIOLATIONS WILL STILL ATTRACT ACTIONThe de-notification also protects actions already taken, liabilities incurred and proceedings initiated under the 2023 regulations. It neither grants immunity for past violations nor exempts medical colleges from future regulatory action, the commission said.The only procedural change is the removal of the additional annual renewal requirement under the de-notified regulations.

Medical colleges will remain subject to mandatory annual disclosures, prescribed minimum standards, institutional assessments and statutory enforcement.'REGULATORY SIMPLIFICATION IS NOT RELAXATION'“NMC remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of medical education while ensuring that regulation is transparent, effective and free from unnecessary duplication. Regulatory simplification must not be mistaken for regulatory relaxation,” the commission said. “The NMC has removed an overlapping process, not the safeguards that protect the quality of medical education.”In summary, the NMC said the withdrawal removes an additional annual renewal process while retaining disclosure requirements, inspections, minimum standards and enforcement measures for medical colleges.- Ends