New Medical College, Seat Increase, and Renewal Approvals Halted by the NMC

 

 

The approval of new medical colleges, seat increases, or renewals for the academic year 2025-26 has been suspended by the National Medical Commission (NMC). The NMC’s halt on new medical college approvals came after the exposure of the favorable inspection bribery scam. The medical colleges that had plans for approving seats or renewing them will not be able to proceed with the approvals, as per the latest regulations by the NMC. 

 

 

New Medical College, Seat Increase, and Renewal Approvals Halted by NMC

 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has halted the approvals of new medical colleges, seat increases, or renewals for the 2025-26 session. The statutory body, which oversees medical education in India, has frozen all the approvals following the favorable inspection bribery scam that occurred all across the country over the last few days. The decision to freeze the approvals of new medical colleges, seat increases, or renewals was brought to effect to restore the integrity of medical education in India.

 

All the scheduled inspections of private medical colleges, pending approvals, and addition of medical seats have been put on hold. NMC’s halt on new medical college approvals came after the exposure of the favorable inspection bribery scam.

 

 

 

 

Also Read 3 Karnataka Doctors Booked by CBI for Favourable Inspection Report Bribery

 

 

Favorable Inspection Bribery Scam

 

The favorable inspection bribery scam led to NMC’s halt on new medical college approvals. Multiple individuals, which included officials from various medical colleges, Union Health Ministry, and National Medical Commission (NMC), were involved in the favorable inspection bribery scam. Over 36 individuals in connection with the favorable inspection bribery scam have been arrested so far from various locations across the country. The investigations suggest that the total bribe amount in the favorable inspection bribery scam would be worth over Rs. 1,000 crores.

 

Mode of Operation: As per investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), this is a huge network of individuals involved in the favorable inspection bribery racket. All the 36 offenders in the favorable inspection bribery scam were either paying or accepting bribes to manipulate official reports and gain regulatory approvals. The medical college officials allegedly paid huge sums of money to NMC officials to get approvals of their colleges and gain recognition. The bribes were mostly paid through hawala channels and through intermediaries to avoid being tracked.

 

 

Misuse of Power by the Accused in the Favorable Inspection Bribery Scam

 

Among the 36 individuals arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), 1 was a National Health Authority officer, 8 were from the Union Health Ministry, and 5 were doctors from National Medical Commission (NMC). These officials had access to the reports and could approve the medical colleges if they met requirements, as per NMC’s regulations. However, they misused this power to falsely approve colleges that did not meet the requirements by accepting bribes.

 

• Basic Requirements for Medical College Approval: The medical colleges seeking approvals must have the required infrastructure, qualified faculty, and adequate patient care facilities. Some of the private medical institutions that lacked these requirements resorted to gain recognition through illegal means.
  
  
• Ongoing Investigations: The CBI had conducted raids in 40 locations across 6 states in India including Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. The investigations are still on to nab anyone involved in the favorable inspection bribery scam. The aim of the ongoing investigations is to bring down the entire network of the bribery racket.

 

 

Next Steps by the National Medical Commission (NMC)

 

The NMC has now frozen all the approvals for new medical colleges, seat additions, or renewals. However, according to many industry insiders, the decision to halt the approvals may hinder the plans of many genuine private medical colleges to participate in the academic year 2025-26 and hold them from adding new medical seats. The reduced number of medical colleges and seats further affect candidates by denying them opportunities to pursue medical education.

 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has further announced that it will deploy teams of senior professors to carry out inspections in the coming weeks. It has also announced all the medical colleges must comply strictly with NMC norms and regulations without any expectations.

 

 

Steps Taken by NMC Previously

 

In May 2025, one of the senior doctors working with NMC was involved in the similar favorable inspection bribery scam. The doctor had provided positive assessment reports for a medical college in Karnataka in return for bribes. The scam was uncovered by the CBI, who booked all the officials and college authorities involved in the crime.

 

The NMC blacklisted the doctor involved in the favorable inspection bribery scam. All the pending approvals of the medical college that provided the bribe amount for addition and renewal of UG and PG seats were halted.

 

 

The NMC’s halt on new medical college approvals, addition of seats, or renewals is a strategic step taken by the National Medical Commission to uphold the integrity of medical education in India. However, this move may also hinder genuine medical colleges from participating in the academic year 2025-26. Higher number of seats means more opportunities for candidates to pursue medical education. The NMC’s halt on new medical college approvals and new seats denies candidates additional opportunities to pursue medical education, increasing the competition for the existing seats.

 

 

 

 Also Read CBI busts 6 in Favorable Inspection Report and Regulatory Approvals Bribery