The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) Medical Assessment and Rating Board has issued its final reminder to all medical colleges in India. The board has called for applications to:
Introduce new postgraduate (PG) medical courses.
Increase seat capacity in existing PG medical programs for the academic year 2025-2026.
Establish new postgraduate medical institutions.
Applications have to be submitted on or before December 26, 2024. All applications must be submitted online through the official NMC portal.
Key Documents for Application
Institutions seeking to establish new courses or add seats must upload the following documents in PDF format:
Essentiality Certificate (EC):
This is a compulsory document in the prescribed format, which establishes that new PG courses or standalone postgraduate medical colleges need to be established.
Consent of Affiliation (CoA):
Applicants must include a valid certificate from the affiliating university in the required format.
Justification for Seat Increase:
A comprehensive explanation of why the institution needs to expand seats in existing PG programs, supported by data.
Application Process
The NMC has outlined a clear process for submitting applications:
Online Submission Only:
Applications must be submitted through the NMC’s online portal. Physical or hard copy applications will not be accepted.
Separate Applications for Each Course:
Every course has a separate application and fee payment.
Fee Payment:
Only after successful payment of the required fees, the application will be processed. The link for payment is generated at the time of online submission.
Bank Guarantee for Private Colleges:
Private medical colleges need to submit a bank guarantee within seven working days of receiving the Letter of Intent (LOI).
In case the bank guarantee is not produced, the entire application would be cancelled
Government Colleges Undertaking:
In case the requirement from NMC demands so, they need to provide an undertaking as proof of fulfilling such conditions
Regulatory Compliance and Evaluation
NMC clearly has stated that its application for evaluation will all depend upon the regulatory and standard guidelines followed. Rejection may occur in cases of submission with incomplete details and discrepancies.
Compliance-Based Evaluation:
The MARB will scrutinize all submitted documents and assess compliance with regulations governing postgraduate medical education.
Evaluation Reports:
Assessment reports will be reviewed in detail before final decisions are communicated to applicants.
Decision Communication:
Final decisions regarding applications will be sent via authorized email only to ensure authenticity.
Important Considerations for Applicants
Ensure all documents are in the correct format and uploaded during the online application process.
Submit all the required fees for each course separately so that there are no issues.
Complete applications much in advance of the deadline for December 26 to anticipate technical issues.
Review the EC and CoA carefully so that the prescribed formats are followed.
Objective of the Initiative
The expansion in the availability of postgraduate medical education in India will be facilitated by this NMC initiative. It has announced new courses and enhanced seat capacity in the existing courses, and this is likely to lead to:
Satisfying the growing demand for specialists.
Improving the quality and outreach of medical education.
Providing a better balance in access to postgraduate medical training among the states.
The NMC has emphasized the timely and accurate submission of applications so that the review process will not be marred. Medical institutions are advised to note the December 26, 2024 deadline and ensure their submissions are done following the guidelines. This is likely to enhance postgraduate medical education in India and increase opportunities for aspiring medical professionals.