# Editorial: Is the NMC's withdrawal of college standards rules a 'dubious retreat'?

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-27/nmc-msmer-withdrawal-editorial/
Date: 27 October 2026 (2026-10-27)
Source: The Hindu, Editorial
UPSC papers: GS2
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** The NMC has scrapped its 2023 standards-and-penalties rulebook for medical colleges, saying it duplicated other rules, and The Hindu argues this weakens oversight.

The National Medical Commission (NMC), India's regulator of medical education and practice, has de-notified the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER-2023). The notification is dated 14 October 2026 and was published in the Gazette on 16 October. MSMER-2023, notified in September 2023, set out penalties for medical colleges that failed to meet standards or gave false information: fines of up to ₹1 crore per violation for institutions, fines on faculty, deans and doctors for false declarations or records, cuts in student intake, stopping admissions, and withholding or withdrawing accreditation for up to five academic years. It also asked colleges to file an Annual Disclosure Report (ADR) on faculty, infrastructure and clinical material.

The NMC says the 2023 regulations created a parallel system of institutional evaluation, annual renewal and enforcement by its Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education Boards that overlapped with the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB). It says it acted after "judicial observations" and a review of the NMC Act, 2019, and that the only procedural change is the end of the extra annual renewal. The ADR stays mandatory under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the NMC Act, MARB keeps its power to inspect colleges, including without notice, and actions already taken under MSMER-2023 are preserved. "Regulatory simplification must not be mistaken for regulatory relaxation," the NMC said.

The Hindu's editorial of 27 October calls the move a "dubious retreat". It notes that MSMER was praised for targeting "ghost faculty" (teachers shown on paper who do not teach) and "ghost patients" (patients faked to inflate clinical material during inspections). It accepts that MARB can still fine institutions up to ₹1 crore under its own 2023 regulations, but asks why the whole regulation was scrapped rather than only the overlapping part, and argues that penalising only institutions, not individuals, invites leniency. It points to a transparency gap: in an RTI matter before the Central Information Commission, the NMC said in 2024 that MARB had neither assessed nor rated colleges, although MARB's rules require it to publish annual assessment results. Unless these gaps are closed, the editorial argues, the change will look like relaxation rather than simplification.

## Prelims facts

- The NMC de-notified MSMER-2023 by a notification dated 14 October 2026, published in the Gazette on 16 October 2026.
- MSMER-2023 allowed fines of up to ₹1 crore per violation on medical colleges, cuts in intake and withdrawal of accreditation for up to five academic years.
- The Annual Disclosure Report remains mandatory under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the NMC Act, 2019, and MARB keeps its inspection powers.
- The NMC Act, 2019 replaced the Medical Council of India; the NMC was constituted on 25 September 2020 with four autonomous boards.
- The Hindu's editorial argues the withdrawal weakens action against 'ghost faculty' and individual wrongdoers, and flags MARB's poor record on publishing assessments.

## Quick recall

- **What is MSMER-2023?** The NMC's Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, notified in September 2023.
- **When was MSMER-2023 de-notified?** By a notification dated 14 October 2026, published in the Gazette on 16 October 2026.
- **Maximum fine on a college per violation under MSMER-2023?** Up to ₹1 crore.
- **Under which sections of the NMC Act does the Annual Disclosure Report continue?** Sections 24(i) and 25(h).
- **Which body assesses, inspects and rates medical colleges?** The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB).
- **When was the NMC constituted, and what did it replace?** 25 September 2020; it replaced the Medical Council of India.
- **What is 'ghost faculty'?** Teachers shown on a college's records who do not actually work or teach there.
- **For how long could accreditation be withheld or withdrawn under MSMER-2023?** Up to five academic years.

## Prelims practice question

Which of the following are autonomous boards under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019?
1. Under-Graduate Medical Education Board
2. Medical Assessment and Rating Board
3. Ethics and Medical Registration Board
4. National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only. The NMC Act sets up four autonomous boards: the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board, the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences is a separate body and not one of the four.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2015, GS2: To achieve the desired objectives, it is necessary to ensure that the regulatory institutions remain independent and autonomous. Discuss in the light of experiences in the recent past. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q304-achieve-desired-objectives-necessary-ensure-regulatory-institutions/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use the NMC case to show that regulatory credibility depends on visible enforcement and transparency, not just autonomy on paper.
- UPSC Mains 2024, GS2: In a crucial domain like the public healthcare system the Indian State should play a vital role to contain the adverse impact of marketisation of the system. Suggest some measures through which the State can enhance the reach of public healthcare at the grassroots level. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q174-crucial-domain-like-public-healthcare-system-indian/)
- UPSC Mains 2015, GS2: Public health system has limitation in providing universal health coverage. Do you think that private sector can help in bridging the gap? What other viable alternatives do you suggest? (https://upsc.help/pyq/q173-public-health-system-has-limitation-providing-universal/)

## Mains practice question

Regulatory simplification should not become regulatory relaxation. Examine this statement in the context of the National Medical Commission's withdrawal of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023. (150 words)

### Model answer

In October 2026 the National Medical Commission (NMC) de-notified the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER-2023), saying they duplicated the work of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB).

## The case for simplification
- MSMER created a parallel evaluation, annual renewal and enforcement track through the UG and PG Boards.
- The Annual Disclosure Report stays mandatory under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the NMC Act, 2019.
- MARB keeps powers to inspect, including without notice.

## Why critics see relaxation
- MSMER targeted 'ghost faculty' and 'ghost patients' with fines of up to ₹1 crore per violation and loss of seats or accreditation.
- Fines on faculty and deans for false records go with it, and penalising only institutions may breed leniency, *The Hindu* argues.
- The NMC told the Central Information Commission in 2024 that MARB had neither assessed nor rated colleges, despite rules requiring published results.

## Way forward
- Restore individual accountability and publish annual college ratings.

Simpler rules can work only if enforcement becomes more visible, not less.

## The basics

## Why this matters
India is adding medical seats fast. Whether a new college has real teachers, real patients and real labs decides the quality of the doctors it produces. The rules that check this, and the penalties for faking it, are a test of how well a regulator works.

## Who regulates medical education
The National Medical Commission replaced the Medical Council of India under the NMC Act, 2019. The Act received assent on 8 August 2019 and the Commission was constituted on 25 September 2020. It works through four autonomous boards.

## What MSMER-2023 did
The MSMER-2023, notified in September 2023, required colleges to disclose their faculty, infrastructure and clinical facilities every year, and listed penalties for violations and false records.

## What changed in October 2026
The NMC de-notified MSMER-2023 by a notification of 14 October 2026, published on 16 October. It says the rules duplicated the Medical Assessment and Rating Board. The disclosure duty survives in the Annual Disclosure Report.

## The bigger question
A regulator earns trust by showing its work. Publishing inspection results and ratings would let students, parents and States judge colleges, whatever the rulebook says.

## Sources

- https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/nmc-de-notifies-2023-medical-education-standards-framework-what-changes-126102300591_1.html
- https://www.careerindia.com/news/nmc-medical-education-regulations-2023-de-notified-compliance-guide-2026-011-67269.html
- https://nagalandpost.com/national-medical-commission-says-denotification-of-medical-education-regulations-wont-dilute-standards/
- https://afeias.com/knowledge-centre/newspaper-clips/27-10-2026-important-news-clippings/
- https://www.siasat.com/medical-colleges-could-be-fined-rs-1-cr-for-violation-of-new-nmc-rules-2709619/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Medical_Commission