NMC officials facing CBI probe on allegations of giving approvals to medical colleges for Cash: Report

New Delhi: The top officials of the National Medical Commission (NMC) have now landed in trouble as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started to investigate the cash-for-clearance allegations against the Apex medical education regulatory body in India, a recent report by The New Indian Express has stated.

This comes after the Union Health Minister received several complaints of corruption against the NMC officials and the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) and therefore he ordered a cleanup in the process of granting of recognition to the private medical colleges in the country, reports TNIE.

Earlier, during the surprise checks of the Private medical colleges, the Health Ministry officials had found that despite lacking proper infrastructure, faculties and required facilities the colleges were getting approvals by stage-managing the inspections. 

Allegations of corruption in the Health and Medical Education sector is not new. The erstwhile Medical Council of India was also labelled with such allegations of corruption and scams. In fact, taking note of all these factors, the scam-tainted MCI got replaced by NMC in 2020.

As per the NMC Act, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board assesses medical colleges and develops a ranking system for them. However, now allegations of corruptions are being levelled against the National Medical Commission as well. In fact, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of NMC has now been charged for granting recognition to private medical colleges even though the colleges lack proper infrastructure and faculty requirements.

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The latest media report by the New Indian Express adds that recently the Union Health ministry conducted surprise visits at the medical colleges and in one such case, the NMC team found that even though a college lacked the facilities for running undergraduate MBBS course, it had recognition for PG courses as well. Another college has been running for around 18 years despite lacking even the minima facilities. In case of another Institute, it was operating while violating the norms and as a result the Supreme Court slapped a fine of Rs 2 crore on it.

While commenting on the matter, a source well aware of how the alleged corruption works within NMC told NIE, "First an inspection date is generated on a computer. This date is shared by officials with the brokers, who alert the college management. The inspection team is sent after a deal is struck with the college, and the college is given time to arrange for the required facilities just for the day of inspection. This business has been going on forever and hundreds of crores of rupees change hands every year."