NMC | National Medical Commission

NMC or National Medical Commission is the Government body formed to overtake medical education regulations from the Medical Council of India or MCI. NMC bill was earlier introduced for six months by an ordinance in January 2019. Later it became a permanent law passed by Parliament of India and subsequently approved by President of India on 8 August 2019.

The National Medical Commission or NMC has been constituted by an act of the Parliament of India known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019. This act came into force on 25.9.2020 (gazette notification dt. 24.9.2020). The Board of Governors in supersession of the Medical Council of India was dissolved thereafter.

National Medical Commission Bill was brought in as an Ordinance in 2019 to replace the former medical body of India, the Medical Council of India.
Earlier, as per the Supreme Court directive, five specialized doctors were appointed to monitor the medical education system in India.
The planning body has recommended the replacement of the Medical Council of India with the National Medical Commission. The ultimate aim is to regulate medical education and practice in India.
Most states have approved the decision, and after its approval by the Prime Minister, the final bill was placed in the parliamentary sessions. Both houses of Parliament passed it in 2019. President of India gives his nod to National Medical Commission Bill 2019 on 8 August 2019, and finally, NMC became a law.

The National Medical Commission or NMC aims to:

1. Improve access to affordable quality medical education.
2. Ensure the availability of adequate and highly specialized medical professionals in all corners of the country.
3. Promote fair, impartial, and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes medical professionals' services accessible to all Indian citizens.
4. It encourages all kinds of medical professionals to adopt the latest medical technology and research in their work and contribute to research.
5. Objectively assess medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner.
6. Maintain a medical register for India.
7. Enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services.
8. Have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

The essential points of this Bill in context to MBBS Abroad are:

• A common Exit Test, known as NEXT, will be taken in India and will be treated as a Licensing Exam for Doctors willing to work in India.
• NEXT test will be applicable to students of:
• Any medical college in India (Government and Private both).
• All students of AIIMS (All AIIMS), JIPMER, AFMC, CMC.
• Any student studying MBBS in abroad in MCI approved universities or colleges. (Students must be MCI eligible as per NEET-UG Rules)
• Students passing UG and PG from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will also clear this NEXT test to get the Indian Medical Registration number. Previously these students were exempted from FMGE.
• Through the result of this Exit Exam, students getting higher ranks will get a PG seat in India too.
• NEET PG abolished henceforth from the day Exit exam starts.
• FMGE abolished henceforth from the day Exit Exam starts.

• Lay down policies for maintaining high-quality and high standards in medical education and make necessary regulations on this behalf;
• Make guidelines for regulating medical institutions, medical researches, and medical professionals and make essential regulations on this behalf;
• Assess the requirements in healthcare, which includes human resources for health and healthcare infrastructure, and develop a road map for meeting such needs;
• Promoting, coordinating and framing guidelines and lay down policies by making necessary regulations ensuring the proper functioning of the Commission, the Autonomous Boards, and the different State Medical Councils;
• Ensure coordination among the different Autonomous Boards;
• As per requirement, take such measures to ensure compliance by the State Medical Councils of the rules and regulations for their effective functioning;
• Exercise appellate jurisdiction related to the decisions of the Autonomous Boards;
• Lay down policies and codes to ensure observance of professional ethics in the medical profession and to encourage ethical conduct during the provision of care by medical practitioners;
• Frame guidelines for determination of Tuition fees and all other charges in respect of 50% of the seats in the Deemed Universities and Private Medical Colleges.
• Exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as may be prescribed from time to time.