Faculty Shortage, Violation of MSR: 349 out of 654 medical colleges get NMC Show Cause Notice

New Delhi: 349 our of the total 654 medical colleges in the country have now got a show cause notice from apex medical regulator, the National Medical Commission, for violations of the Minimum Standard Requirements 2020 including a deficiency in having the required faculty numbers. 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued show cause notice to around 50 percent of medical colleges for not following standards set by them, sources said on Monday.

While speaking to ANI, sources said that half of medical colleges in India may lose recognition for not following the NMC standards.

Show cause notices have been issued to 349 medical colleges-- 197 government-aided and others private.

The NMC has issued a show cause notice to a medical college in Kerala's Idukki after finding a deficiency in attendance and failure to meet required faculty requirements (Minimum Standard Requirements 2020), sources said.

"Your college has failed to meet the required faculty requirement (MSR 2020) for the existing MBBS Course being run in the college for 2023-24. This has been viewed seriously by the Competent Authority. Therefore, your college is hereby directed as to why the action should not be initiated against the non-compliance of the provisions contained in MSR as well as directions issued by NMC," the show cause notice read.

Accordingly, as per sources, a show cause notice was issued to the medical college in Barmer, Rajasthan.

The college has failed to the required faculty requirement (Minimum Standard Requirements 2020) for the existing MBBS Course being run in the college for 2023-24, they said.

Moreover, many colleges don't meet the guidelines for attendance which are mandatory for faculty and senior resident doctors.

As per clause 3.2 of MSR 2023 guidelines, at least 75 per cent attendance of all faculty and Senior Resident Doctors is mandatory.

In India, around 40 medical colleges have lost recognition in the last one to two months of period for not following standards set by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the sources told ANI.

Earlier in May, the action was taken on the basis of not following norms and lapses related to fewer faculty and several lapses related to CCTV cameras, they added.

According to government data, the number of medical colleges has increased to 654 from 387-- almost double-- since 2014. The number of MBBS seats has also increased to 94 per cent.