NMC blacklists assessor, blocks MBBS, PG medical seats expansion at Karnataka medical college in Inspection bribery case

New Delhi: Taking serious cognisance of corruption and misconduct, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has blacklisted a senior doctor serving as an Assessor and imposed strict sanctions on a private medical college in Karnataka. The action comes following the arrest of the Assessor by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe in exchange for a positive inspection report.

Besides, the implicated private medical college has faced huge penalties, including the renewal of its existing number of MBBS and PG medical seats shall not be done for the Academic Year (AY) 2025-26. Additionally, any applications from this college for an increase in seats or for starting new courses for both UG and PG medical programs, received by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) for AY 2025-26, shall be cancelled and will not be processed further.

The Scandal:

In May 2025, the CBI arrested a Senior doctor, Head of Department (HoD) Anatomy at Murshidabad Medical College, working as an Assessor with the National Medical Commission, immediately after he received a bribe of Rs 10 Lakhs allegedly in exchange for a favourable assessment report to a private medical college in Karnataka.

An FIR in this regard was lodged by the CBI against some of the Assessors, college authorities and unknown persons, and the matter is currently under investigation.

The NMC action: Doctor blacklisted, Seat renewal, expansion blocked

In response, the apex medical regulator has taken stringent actions against both the doctor and the medical college involved. The NMC has issued an official statement in this regard, which says:

"The Commission has viewed the matter very seriously and has decided to blacklist the said Assessor, pending investigation and final verdict in the matter."

"As an exemplary action, it has been decided that the renewal of the existing number of seats of the said college in Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses shall not be done for the AY 2025-26. Further, the application for the increase of seats and starting of new courses for both UG & PG received by the Medical Assessment & Rating Board for AY 2025-26 shall be cancelled and not processed further."

Clarification:

On the selection of assessors, the NMC has clarified that it senior faculty members from various government medical colleges across the country, who volunteer to conduct periodic inspections in the Medical Institutions on behalf of the Commission.

"As such, the Assessors are not employed by the Commission but are pooled in from nation-wide government medical colleges and assigned for inspections through a randomisation process," it said.

Further, emphasising its zero-tolerance policy, the apex medical commission asserted that it is committed to upholding utmost integrity in all its work and maintaining transparency at all levels. "The Commission has a no tolerance policy towards corruption and any such untoward incident by any person or medical institution is being dealt by the Commission as per relevant penal provisions of the NMC Act and the Regulations made therein," it stated.

The NMC further spelt out penalties for individuals/institutions who violate the NMC regulations.

"Under the relevant penal provisions of the Act, the Commission may take such actions against the violators as deemed fit viz; imposition of monetary penalty, withholding processing of application for any new scheme(s) for that academic year or for such number of years, reducing the number of students in the next or subsequent academic years to be admitted by the medical institution, stoppage of admission to one or more of the courses in the next or subsequent academic years, recommending action to the competent authority against the concerned assessor under Government Servants Conduct Rules and/or to the Ethics and Medical Registration Board of the Commission, etc."

The apex medical commission has urged all medical colleges/stakeholders to conform strictly to the NMC Rules and Regulations and uphold the ethos of quality medical education, professionalism and public trust.

Medical Dialogues recently reported a similar incident wherein 3 doctors have been arrested for facilitating the submission of favourable inspection reports in exchange for bribes.

According to CBI's official statement, a case was registered against the office-bearers of Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, inspecting doctors; and other intermediaries for manipulating the statutory inspection process conducted for recognition of the medical college, in return for bribes.

Also Read: Bribes for favourable medical college inspection reports- CBI arrests 3 doctors