NMC vacancies delay medical admissions, SC amicus tells court

Senior advocate Maninder Singh's report highlighted that despite reform measures, delays in inspections, approvals, appeals, and counselling persist, leading to admission processes extending beyond prescribed deadlines. For instance, postgraduate admissions for the 2025-26 academic year reportedly continued until February 2026, and undergraduate admissions until December 2025. Permissions for MBBS courses were granted as late as November 2025, even though the academic session began on September 1, 2025.

The report stated that students are the primary victims of these delays, with medical seats often remaining vacant due to uncompleted approval, renewal, and counselling procedures. The amicus linked these recurring delays to the absence of key officials across the NMC and its autonomous boards, which has slowed the formulation of regulations, processing of applications, and disposal of appeals.

Concerns over transparency were also raised, as inspection reports and regulatory decisions are reportedly no longer being routinely placed in the public domain, despite statutory requirements for disclosure. The submission emphasized the unfortunate situation of a regulatory authority responsible for medical education standards functioning without office-bearers. Six years after the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, came into force, several statutory posts within the commission and its boards remain vacant, including key positions envisaged under the legislation.