National ranking system for PG medical colleges soon, 15,000 seats being added annually: NMC Chairman Dr Gangadhar

Hyderabad: The National Medical Commission (NMC) is working on several major changes to make medical education in India more accessible, transparent, and student-friendly, said Dr B N Gangadhar, Chairman of NMC, during his recent visit to Osmania Medical College.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Dr Gangadhar said that the Commission has been focusing on improving quality, increasing the number of seats, introducing new courses, and making colleges more accountable.

Earlier, medical colleges needed a hospital with at least 300 beds to get approval. But now, the requirement has been reduced to 220 beds, allowing more institutions to start with 50 MBBS seats if they meet quality standards, said Dr Gangadhar, adding that at least 15,000 medical seats are being added annually across the country.

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Considering evolving healthcare needs, medical colleges have sent proposals for around 60 new courses this year. On this, Dr Gangadhar said, "Expert committees are reviewing these proposals, and necessary courses will be introduced from next year. A new policy will allow government medical colleges to offer postgraduate (PG) courses even without undergraduate (UG) batches, a move that could soon be extended to private institutions."

During the interview with ETV Bharat, Dr Gangadhar said that while new colleges can start operations with only 40% of the required infrastructure, they must complete all facilities by the time their first batch of students graduates.

"Permissions for new colleges have been eased, and the NMC is insisting on improving facilities over time. Even if a college starts with 40% of the infrastructure, it must be fully equipped by the time the first batch graduates in five years,” Dr Gangadhar added.

The Commission is encouraging institutions to offer Post-Doctoral Certificate Courses and Fellowships. Special emphasis is being placed on superspecialty training in areas such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases to tackle the rise in non-communicable diseases.

Moreover, Dr Gangadhar said, "The NMC has been working on a national ranking system for PG medical colleges, aiming to publish top 10 and top 20 lists. A dedicated website is under development for this purpose."

On the recent Supreme Court direction to hold NEET PG in a single shift for fairness, Dr Gangadhar said the matter is being looked into. He said that there are logistical challenges involved, considering the large number of candidates.

“We will take a decision on this soon. NMC remains committed to ensuring both expansion and excellence in India’s medical education landscape," he added further.

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