NBE revises accreditation criteria, notifies on mandatory disclosures, Rs 1 lakh penalty for hospitals violating trainee verification
New Delhi: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has announced revisions and updates in the process and criteria governing NBEMS Accreditation as well as admission to its courses at hospitals and medical institutes.
The updated framework introduces mandatory public disclosures by accredited institutions, stricter document verification before trainee enrolment, revised accreditation standards and the criteria for the newly launched 11 new Diploma, DNB, DrNB and FNB programmes.
The notice, issued by the NBE, in this regard, applies to all hospitals, medical colleges and medical institutions seeking or holding NBEMS accreditation.
MANDATORY DISCLOSURE BY NBEMS ACCREDITED HOSITALS/MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS
In order to uphold transparency and maintain the highest standards of postgraduate medical education and training, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) requires all accredited institutions to make essential information about their training infrastructure, faculty, and clinical workload publicly accessible.
Accordingly, all NBEMS-accredited hospitals and institutes are directed to comply with the following mandatory disclosure requirements-
1 Dedicated Web Link: Institutions shall create a clearly visible link titled “NBEMS Mandatory Disclosures” on the homepage of their official website.
2 Hosting of Pro-forma Details must be uploaded strictly in the prescribed format.
3 Quarterly Updates: Information on infrastructure, faculty, bed occupancy, and stipends must be reviewed and updated in the first week of every quarter.
Compliance is mandatory. Non-compliance, failure to update, or display of incorrect/misleading information will attract at adversely affect accreditation processing, renewal, and inclusion of seats in the centralised counselling matrix.
All newly accredited institutes, upon receipt of accreditation, and all existing accredited institutes must-
1 Implement this directive immediately and ensure compliance within 3 months of issuance.
2 Provide NBEMS with the direct weblink to the disclosure page. This link should navigate directly to the concerned disclosure page instead of navigating to the home page of the hospital’s website.
The weblink must be submitted through the Online Accreditation Application Portal by logging in and accessing the “Update Profile” section.
STRICT ADHERENCE TO NBEMS GUIDELINES ON DOCUMENT VERIFICATION OF TRAINEES PRIOR TO ENROLMENT IN NBEMS COURSES ON OPJR (ONLINE PORTAL FORM JOINING & REGISTRATION)
Following the counselling process for admission to NBEMS courses, the joining of candidates to their allotted seats is carried out by the respective NBEMS-accredited hospitals/institutes. Each accredited hospital bears the sole responsibility of ensuring that every trainee satisfies all eligibility criteria as prescribed in the Information Bulletin for the relevant entrance examination and in the Handbook issued by the concerned counselling authority(ies).
The eligibility of candidates must be verified strictly in accordance with these prescribed criteria. In recent instances, it has been observed that certain hospitals/institutions permitted candidates to join courses without proper verification of original documents and eligibility criteria. Permitting a candidate to join without due verification not only risks admitting an ineligible candidate but also exposes the institution to potential litigation.
NBEMS has viewed the matter with utmost seriousness. Accordingly, it has been decided that a monetary penalty of INR 1,00,000/- per such candidate shall be imposed on any hospital found to be in default by failing to provide the requisite documents, or by approving, forwarding, or submitting false, fabricated, misleading, or unverified records/documents for admission to NBEMS courses.
NBEMS-accredited hospitals are strongly advised to rigorously and meticulously examine all original documents prior to admitting a candidate and must also adhere to the prescribed timelines for candidate registration, uploading of his/her requisite documents, and other related formalities on the OPJR portal / MCC portal.
An outline for submission of Joining & Self Appraisal to be submitted by trainees and NBEMS-accredited hospitals is notified by NBEMS during the counselling.
REVISION OF MINIMUM ACCREDITATION CRITERIA
1 CLINICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
S.NO | EXISTING CRITERIA | REVISED CRITERIA |
1 | The applicant hospital should have a minimum of 02 years of standing in clinical establishment before it can be considered for commencement of DNB, DrNB or FNB courses. However, the hospital can apply for seeking accreditation with NBEMS after completing 01 year in clinical operations. Years in clinical operation should be substantiated with supportive documents such as certificate of registration of the applicant hospital under applicable Acts & Rules. The hospitals failing to submit the required documents to substantiate the minimum required period in clinical operations (i.e. at least 01 year by the last date of application submission) shall not be processed. | a) For Broad Speciality Courses (DNB & Post MBBS Diploma)- • No change in existing criteria. b) For Super Speciality & Fellowship Courses (DrNB & FNB)- • The applicant hospital should have a minimum of 03 years of standing in clinical establishment before it can be considered for commencement of DrNB or FNB courses. However, the hospital can apply for seeking accreditation with NBEMS after completing 02 years in clinical operations. Years in clinical operation should be substantiated with supportive documents such as certificate of registration of the applicant hospital under applicable Acts & Rules. The hospitals failing to submit the required documents to substantiate the minimum required period in clinical operations (i.e. at least 02 years by the last date of application submission) shall not be processed. |
2 REFUND OF ACCREDITATION FEE
S.NO | REFUND OF ACCREDITATION FEE | REVISED TERMS AND CONDITIONS |
1 | 90% of total fee + applicable GST | Refund will be admissible if the applicant hospital or institute withdraws the application within four weeks from the date of online submission to NBEMS, provided the withdrawal is made before physical assessment or inspection of the department by an NBEMS-appointed assessor. The same refund will apply where a duplicate application has been submitted or where an application is submitted more than one year before its renewal becomes due. |
2 | 50% of total fee + applicable GST | Refund will be admissible if the application is withdrawn after four weeks from the date of online submission, but before physical assessment or inspection by an NBEMS-appointed assessor. It will also apply if the application is closed or rejected at the pre-assessment stage, before inspection, due to non-fulfilment of the minimum accreditation criteria. |
3 | No refund shall be admissible | No refund will be granted once the physical assessment or inspection of the applicant department has been conducted by the NBEMS-appointed assessor. No refund will also be given if the institution refuses to permit the scheduled inspection because of the non-availability of staff, faculty, director or other concerned officials on the day of assessment. |
4 | Non-refundable | The application form fee of Rs 3,000 plus 5% GST, amounting to Rs 3,150, is non-refundable under all circumstances. |
3 STIPEND TO NBEMS DIPLOMA TRAINEES
It is hereby notified that where the State Government issues a separate advisory or notification regarding stipends to the Diploma trainees in the NMC-recognized medical colleges of the State, and the said notified amount of stipend is also being paid to the NBEMS Diploma trainees by the NBEMS accredited institutes in that State, the same shall be accepted.
The other guidelines pertaining to NBEMS stipend shall continue to remain in force, in accordance with the NBEMS stipend guidelines published vide NBEMS Notices dated 09 September 2024 and 03 June 2025.
To view the notification, click the link below
