The National Medical Commission (NMC), tasked with overseeing medical education and professionals in India, has been without a full-time chairman for the past four months. This situation persists despite the Union Health Ministry issuing invitations last year to fill this crucial position. Dr BN Gangadhar, the former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, has been serving as the NMC chairman on an interim basis since September. He assumed the role after the tenure completion of the first NMC chairman, Dr Suresh Chandra Sharma.
Dr Gangadhar concurrently holds the position of president of the Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB). The MARB defines procedures for evaluating and rating medical institutions, conducts inspections, and grants permissions for new medical institutions. Several other vital posts within the NMC also remain vacant, including the full-time president for the Ethics & Medical Registration Board (EMRB), responsible for maintaining national registers of licensed medical practitioners and regulating professional conduct.
Despite the Union health ministry issuing an invitation for applications for these vacant posts, including the chairman’s position, seven months ago, appointments are still under process. Dr KV Babu, who submitted a Right to Information (RTI) request on the matter, received a response from the ministry acknowledging the ongoing appointment process.
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