Medical College Seats and New Regulations in India

• 26 Oct 2023

For Prelims: National Medical Commission (NMC), National Medical Commission Act, 2019,

For Mains: Medical College Seats and New Regulations in India, Government Policies & Interventions, Education

Source: IE

Why in News?

Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued guidelines putting a hold on new medical colleges and expansion of existing colleges in states with more than 100 medical education seats per million population.

• Earlier, NMC also issued new guidelines on professional conduct for doctors, which mandate them to prescribe only generic drugs instead of specific brands.

What is the Scenario of Medical Colleges in States?

• States with Excess Medical College Seats:
  • At least 13 states and Union Territories in India have more than 100 seats per million population, rendering them ineligible for capacity expansion.
    • Tamil Nadu has the highest number of medical college seats (11,225), followed by Karnataka (11,020), and Maharashtra (10,295).
• States with Deficient Medical College Seats:
  • There is an acute shortage of medical college seats in relation to population in Meghalaya, Bihar, and Jharkhand, where the deficit is more than 75%.
    • Meghalaya, with a population of approximately 33.5 lakh, has only 50 medical college seats.
    • Bihar and Jharkhand, with populations of 12.7 crore and 3.9 crore, have 2,565 and 980 medical college seats, respectively.
    • Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, has 9,253 seats, with a 61% deficit.

What are the NMC Guidelines?

• In August 2023, the NMC issued regulations that set population-to-seats ratios for medical colleges.
• States with more than 100 medical education seats per million population are restricted from expanding their medical education capacity.
• The NMC argues that these guidelines are intended to bring down regional disparities and ensure effective quality medical education.
• The NMC's regulations will apply to new medical colleges and seat expansions starting from the 2024-25 academic session.
• The regulations do not require states with excess seats to shut down colleges or reduce existing seats.

What is the National Medical Commission (NMC) ?

• The NMC has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
• The NMC acts as India's top regulator of medical education and practice.
• Committed to upholding the highest standards in healthcare education, NMC ensures the delivery of quality medical education and training across the nation.