After Scam Exposure, NMC Suspends Medical College Sanctions for 2025–26

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced that it will halt approvals for new medical colleges, seat increases, and renewals for the 2025–26 academic session.

The move comes in response to a recent scam busted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where fraudulent approvals were allegedly granted to several medical colleges in exchange for bribes. The decision has put many upcoming proposals and plans on hold for now.

Scam Busted by CBI

MedBound Times had earlier reported that the CBI has uncovered one of the biggest medical education scams in India, involving several officials from the NMC and the Health Ministry.

According to the CBI, bribes were taken to grant approvals to medical colleges lacking even the basic requirements, such as proper infrastructure, qualified faculty, and essential patient facilities.

Raids were conducted at over 40 colleges across several states, and so far, 36 people have been arrested—11 of whom were from the Central and State Health Ministries. The scam is estimated to be worth over ₹1,000 crore. The CBI has said that more arrests are likely.

Clean-Up Drive Underway

To restore the integrity of medical education and ensure institutions meet set standards, the NMC will deploy a temporary team of senior professors to inspect existing colleges next week. Colleges have been warned to strictly comply with NMC norms.

Divided Opinions

While some support the move, calling it a much-needed system-wide clean-up, others are concerned about its broader impact.

They argue it could freeze the expansion of medical education infrastructure and disrupt plans by private players to launch new colleges or expand intake.

Some experts also pointed out that this might delay access to medical seats for students in the next academic cycle.

Similar Scam Last Month

Back in May 2025, the CBI had booked college authorities, assessors, and others in a bribery racket involving a private medical college in Karnataka.

A senior doctor working with the NMC had reportedly accepted a bribe to issue a positive assessment report to the college. In response, the NMC halted the review of existing UG and PG seats at the college.

That incident had already triggered concern within the medical community.

Why This Matters

Back-to-back scams have raised serious concerns about the integrity of medical education in India. The NMC’s move could help restore public trust, reset regulatory standards, and bring the focus back to quality education.

(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)