Scrapping MSMER-2023 won’t lower standards for medical colleges, says NMC

The National Medical Commission has asserted that the de-notification of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 will not dilute prescribed standards of medical education and are intended to remove overlapping procedures.

The Commission, which is the statutory body for medical education in the country, had on October 14 denotified the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER-2023).

The denotification “does not, in any manner, dilute the prescribed standards of medical education or the regulatory oversight exercised by NMC,” a statement by the Commission said.

Under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) are primarily entrusted with prescribing academic standards, minimum requirements and educational norms.

The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), under Section 26 of the Act is specifically empowered to assess and inspect medical institutions, verify compliance with prescribed standards and initiate appropriate regulatory measures against institutions found deficient, it stated.

The regulations had introduced a parallel mechanism of institutional evaluation, annual renewal and enforcement through UGMEB and PGMEB, resulting in overlapping regulatory functions, the statement.

Following judicial observations and a detailed examination of the statutory framework, the Commission decided to remove this duplication and align regulatory responsibilities with the provisions of the NMC Act, it stated.

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The requirement of Annual Disclosure Reports (ADR) remains mandatory and medical colleges will continue to submit annual disclosures concerning faculty, infrastructure, clinical facilities, patient load and other prescribed parameters, it emphasised.

These disclosures remain available for scrutiny and verification through the statutory assessment and inspection mechanisms of MARB. Therefore, any suggestion that annual disclosures would become merely unverified claims is misplaced, the statement said.

Further, all existing minimum standard requirements relating to faculty, infrastructure, clinical material, teaching facilities, attendance and academic standards will remain fully applicable.

The MARB retains its statutory authority to conduct assessments and inspections, including where necessary without prior notice, and to take appropriate action against non-compliant institutions under the NMC Act and Regulation of the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, the statement said.

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The de-notification also safeguards actions already taken, liabilities incurred and proceedings initiated under MSMER-2023. The decision neither provides immunity for past violations nor exempts medical colleges from future regulatory action, it stressed.

The only procedural change is the removal of the additional annual renewal requirement under MSMER-2023.
Medical colleges remain subject to mandatory annual disclosures, prescribed minimum standards, institutional assessment and statutory enforcement.

“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,” it stated.

“The NMC has removed an overlapping process, not the safeguards that protect the quality of medical education,” the statement added.