Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore penalty to Medical Colleges for Backdoor Entries in MBBS admissions
New Delhi: With the publication of the new Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) 2023 in the official Gazette, medical institutes violating the norms of MBBS admission will face strict penalties as they will be liable to pay a huge fine ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crores per seat.
Although in the draft GMER 2023 regulations the Undergraduate medical education board (UGMEB) of NMC had mentioned that the medical colleges would have to pay Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore per seat as a penalty for violating the norms of MBBS admission, the amount of penalty has now been doubled in the final GMER, 2023 that was published in the official Gazette on June 2, 2023.
Specifying that all the students getting admitted to UG medical courses need to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination, NMC specified in the draft that "no medical institute shall admit any candidate to the graduate course in contravention of these regulations."
Further, addressing the issue of backdoor entries in medical admission and in an attempt to put a stop to the same, the commission specified in the draft, "Provided the medical institution granting admission to any student in contravention of these Regulations, shall be liable to be fined for Rupees 50 lakh per seat for the first-time and for the second time of non-compliance, Rupees one Crore per seat and for any subsequent non-compliance or continued contravention the medical institution shall be barred from granting admissions to any students from the next academic year."
"Student shall be discharged from the medical college and double the number of seats shall be reduced for one or more years," it further added.
In the final Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 that have been published in the official gazette on June 2, 2023, NMC UG Medical Education Board reiterated the fact that it is mandatory for the students to score the minimum eligible score at the NEET-UG exam to pursue graduate medical education either in India or elsewhere (if they want to return and practice in India).
Providing details about the admission process, the regulations mentioned, " the UGMEB shall publish guidelines for the conduct of common counselling, and the designated authority under section 17 below shall conduct the common counselling in conformity with such published guidelines."
Referring to this, the regulations specified, "No medical institute shall admit any candidate to the Graduate Medical Education course in contravention of these regulations."
However, when compared with the draft, NMC has increased the amount of penalty applicable to the medical institutes for backdoor entries. According to the final regulations, "Provided the Medical Institution granting admission to any student in contravention of these Regulations, shall be liable to be fined Rupees one crore or fee for the entire course duration, whichever is higher, per seat for the first time and for the second time of non-compliance, Rupees two crore or double the amount of fees for the entire course duration whichever is higher per seat, and for any subsequent non-compliance or continued contravention the Medical Institution shall be barred from granting admissions to any student from the next academic year"
"Provided further that such Student admitted in contravention of this mandate shall be discharged from the Medical College and double the number of seats shall be reduced for one or more years," it further mentioned.
With this, NMC has now spelled out harsher penalties for backdoor entries in medical education and given clarity regarding the issue of penalty. Even though the previous regulations also mentioned about the penalty imposed on medical institutes for violating the rules of UG medical admission, there was lack of clarity in this regard.
According to 2018 amendments to the MCI Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, "No authority/institution shall admit any candidate to the MBBS course in contravention of the criteria/procedure as laid down by these Regulations and / or in violation of the judgments passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in respect of admissions. Any candidate admitted in contravention/violation of aforesaid shall be discharged by the Council forthwith."
"The authority / institution which grants admission to any student in contravention / violation of the Regulations and / or the judgments passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, shall also be liable to face such action as may be prescribed by the Council, including surrender of seats equivalent to the extent of such admission made from its sanctioned intake capacity for the succeeding academic year/years," the previous regulations further mentioned.
However, the GMER, 2023 has provided clarity regarding the amount of penalty imposed on the medical colleges for backdoor entries. Introducing harsher penalties, it has also specified that, "...such Student admitted in contravention of this mandate shall be discharged from the Medical College and double the number of seats shall be reduced for one or more years."
| GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION, 1997 (2018 Amendment) | Draft Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 | Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 |
| · No candidate who has failed to obtain the minimum eligibility marks as prescribed in Sub-clause (4) above [NEET-UG] shall be admitted to MBBS course in the said academic year. | · No student shall be eligible to pursue graduate medical education either in India or elsewhere, except by scoring the minimum eligible score at the NEET-UG exam. Provided the Under Graduate Medical Education Board shall by notification announce the list of eligible students. | · No student shall be eligible to pursue graduate medical education either in India or elsewhere (if they want to return and practice in India), except by scoring the minimum eligible score at the NEET-UG exam. Provided the UGMEB shall by notification announce the list of eligible students from time to time. |
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| · No medical institute shall admit any candidate to the Graduate Medical Education course in contravention of these regulations.
· Provided the Medical Institution granting admission to any student in contravention of these Regulations, shall be liable to be fined Rupees one crore or fee for the entire course duration, whichever is higher, per seat for the first time and for the second time of non-compliance, Rupees two crore or double the amount of fees for the entire course duration whichever is higher per seat, and for any subsequent non-compliance or continued contravention the Medical Institution shall be barred from granting admissions to any student from the next academic year.
· Provided further that such Student admitted in contravention of this mandate shall be discharged from the Medical College and double the number of seats shall be reduced for one or more years |
To view the GMER 2023, click on the link below:
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/gmer-2023-211540.pdf
Also Read: NMC releases final Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, check out details
