Around 30 medical colleges around the country have lost recognition in the last two months, purportedly for failing to meet National Medical Commission (NMC) criteria, according to official sources on Tuesday. According to them, almost 100 more medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and West Bengal may face similar action. Several gaps in CCTV cameras, Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance protocols, and faculty rolls were discovered during inspections conducted by the Commission, according to an official source. The number of medical colleges has expanded dramatically since 2014, according to government data.
According to Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, there has been a 69% increase in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 654 today. Furthermore, there is a 94% growth in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 99,763 currently, and a 107% increase in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 64,559 now. She stated that in order to boost the number of doctors in the country, the government has raised the number of medical colleges and, as a result, MBBS seats. The government’s measures and steps to increase the number of medical seats in the country include a centrally-sponsored scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals, under which 94 of the 157 approved new medical colleges are already operational. In response to his de-accreditation of medical institutions, medical experts stated the NMC is mostly depending on the Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system, which considers only faculty on duty throughout the day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.