NMC specifies its role in Preventing Ragging at medical colleges

These regulations titled, "Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions Regulations, 2021" have specified measures to prohibit and prevent ragging by institutions including the duties and responsibilities of the institutes, measures required to be taken by the medical colleges, universities, issue of migration, transfer or conduct certificates, measures to encourage healthy interaction between freshers and seniors, Sensitisation of institutional employees and staff towards ragging, Institutional committees, and related measures, Anti-ragging squad, Student Affairs or Hostel Committee, duties of the universities, etc.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that, in an entirely separate chapter, NMC has clearly mentioned the ways to deal with incidents of ragging. Apart from these, the Regulations also contain the formats of undertaking by the students, parents, and head of the medical college.

However, apart from clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the medical institutes and specifying the measures to prevent and prohibit ragging, the Commission has specifically mentioned its own roles and responsibilities as well.

In Chapter III of the Regulations, while mentioning the measures to prohibit and prevent ragging by institutes, NMC has clearly specified the duties and responsibilities attributed towards the institutes, universities, and the Commission itself to execute this aim properly.

Duties and responsibilities of Commission––

"(1) The Commission shall monitor the medical colleges or institutions through the Universities with which they are affiliated with regard to implementation and compliance of the provisions of these regulations.

(2) Every medical college or institution shall submit a compliance report to the Commission annually in the format provided in Form III.

(3) The Commission shall review compliance during recognition inspections or assessments by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board.

(4) All incidents of ragging and reports thereof including outcome of appeals and directions from courts, if any, shall be provided to the Commission by the medical college or institution and by the University with which such medical college or institution is affiliated to.

(5) If an medical college or institution fails to comply with these regulations and curb ragging, the Commission shall take appropriate action as it may deem fit which includes but is not limited to the following, namely:––

(i) initiate de-recognition process against such medical college or institution;

(ii) reduce the admission capacity of that medical college or institution to such extent to which the Commission may deem fit;

(iii) stop further admission in that medical college or institution until further orders;

(iv) stop renewal of permission for undergraduate, postgraduate and super specialty medical courses;

(v) post the information regarding penalties so imposed on the concerned medical college or institution on the website of the Commission for information of all concerned; and

(vi) any other exemplary measure, as may be necessary."

Apart from these, the Regulations have clearly pointed out what the Commission would do while dealing with any incident of ragging in Chapter IV of the Regulations. As per the Regulations, the functions of NMC is as follows:

Functions of Commission––

"(1) The Commission shall be informed of the incident of ragging by the medical college or institution as required under sub-regulation (7) of regulation 21.

(2) The Commission shall receive the report regarding the inquiry or investigation and action taken including the outcome of appeals, if any, from the medical college or institution and the University.

(3) The Commission shall, on review of the reports, take appropriate action as in accordance with the provisions of regulation18.

(4) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-regulations (1) to (3), the Commission may take the following actions, if it deems fit, namely:––

(a) impose an exemplary fine of one lakh rupees for each incident of ragging payable by the erring medical college or institution to such authority as may be designated by the appropriate Government, as the case may be; or

(b) declare the erring medical college or institution or University, as not having the minimum academic standards and warning the potential candidates for admission at such medical college or institution or University through public notice and posing on the Commission's website; or

(c) declare the erring medical college or institution or University to be ineligible for preferring any application under the provisions of Chapter VI of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 for a minimum period of one year, extendable by such quantum by the Commission as would be commensurate with the wrong."