NMC regulatory architecture suffers amid vacancies, zero whole-time members: Parliamentary panel calls for time-bound recruitment
Vacant Post
New Delhi: Expressing serious concern over the vacant posts at the National Medical Commission (NMC), a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has recommended initiating an urgent time-bound recruitment process to fill all statutory, ex officio, and encadred vacancies.
Further, taking note of the number of contractual staff members, the Parliamentary Health Panel observed that consequent heavy reliance on such outsourced and contractual staff ultimately compromises institutional accountability, dilutes a sense of belongingness, and raises the risk of unethical practices to secure continued engagement.
These recommendations were presented before the Parliament by the Department-related Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its 172nd report.
Huge Vacancies in Statutory & Encadred Posts:
The panel noted that a total of 17 statutory and 36 encadred posts were vacant at the Apex Medical Commission. It was observed by the panel that the posts of 2 out of 10 ex officio members and 3 out of 22 part-time members were lying vacant in the Commission.
Shockingly, all 8 posts of Whole-time members in the Autonomous Boards and 4 out of 8 Part-time members in the Boards were also unfilled. Further, 11 CSS Cadred and 25 CSSS cadred posts were also vacant.
Sl No. | Position | Post Name | Sanctioned Strength | In position Strength | Vacant Strength |
1 | Statutory Posts | Chairman | 1 | 1 | 0 |
2 | Ex-officio members | 10 | 8 | 2 | |
3 | Part-time Members in NMC | 22 | 19 | 3 | |
4 | Whole-Time Members in Autonomous Boards | 8 | 0 | 8 | |
5 | Part-time Members in Autonomous Boards | 8 | 4 | 4 | |
6 | Secretary | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
7 | Encadred Posts | CSS Cadre Posts | 45 | 34 | 11 |
8 | CSSS Cadre Posts | 60 | 35 | 25 |
Apart from these, the panel noted that 66 consultants and 170 DEOs, MTS & Drivers have been outsourced on a contractual basis.
Urgent, Time-Bound Recruitment Required:
The panel observed that while on the one hand, NMC has successfully overseen a massive expansion of medical education capacity, which has now reached 818 medical colleges, its own regulatory architecture is suffering from an acute deficit of personnel.
Accordingly, the panel has recommended the Department to initiate a time-bound recruitment process to fill up all statutory, ex-officio and encadred vacancies.
"The Committee observes that while the National Medical Commission (NMC) has successfully overseen a massive expansion of medical education capacity, reaching 818 colleges, its own regulatory architecture is suffering from acute personnel deficits. The Committee notes with serious concern the absolute vacancy in the crucial category of Whole-Time Members in Autonomous Boards, with 0 out of 8 sanctioned posts filled, alongside significant vacancies in encadred administrative posts," observed the panel.
"The Committee believes that the consequent heavy reliance on 236 outsourced and contractual staff members compromises institutional accountability, dilutes a sense of belongingness, and raises the risk of unethical practices to secure continued engagement. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Department urgently initiate a timebound recruitment process to fill all statutory, ex-officio, and encadred vacancies," it recommended.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that earlier this year, the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anupriya Patel in the Rajya Sabha stated that nearly one-third of the approved positions in the National Medical Commission (NMC) were lying vacant.
The total sanctioned strength across the apex medical regulator and its autonomous boards is 54 posts, of which 35 are filled, while 19 remain vacant, the Minister had informed.
These vacant posts included the posts of Presidents of the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB). Besides, the posts of two whole-time and two part-time members of the NMC UG board and two whole-time and one part-time members of the PG Board, along with two whole-time and one part-time members of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board and two whole-time and two part-time members of the Ethics & Medical Registration Board, reportedly were also lying vacant.
According to the details provided by the Ministry earlier this year, the Commission itself has 33 sanctioned posts, with 28 in position and 5 vacant. The Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) has 5 sanctioned posts, but only 1 member was in position, leaving 4 vacancies.
Similarly, the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) has 5 sanctioned posts, of which 2 were filled, and 3 were vacant. The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) also has 5 sanctioned posts, with 2 in position and 3 vacant. The Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) has 5 sanctioned posts, but only 1 member was in position, leaving 4 vacancies.
Also Read: 19 of 54 NMC posts vacant: Health Minister tells Parliament
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