Government Announces 1 Crore Fine For Medical Colleges That Don't Follow The Rules

Regulator of medical education Medical colleges that violate standards now face a fine of one crore rupees from the National Medical Commission (NMC). The corresponding board may request further information "as and when deemed necessary" to determine if colleges are adhering to the standards, as stated in MSMER-2023, which requires medical institutions to provide an annual disclosure report. The medical college will be responsible for providing the information, according to the NMC.

According to the new rules, severe punishment would be meted out to anyone who violated them, including denial of accreditation to medical colleges, revocation of accreditation for a period of up to five years, and suspension of entry to one or more courses. Providing misleading information or documents could potentially result in legal action being taken by the National Medical Commission or independent boards.

A command centre has also been established by the national government to monitor faculty members' attendance, patients' attendance at outpatient clinics, and surgical patients. This centre combines data from the hospital information management system, an Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system, and a network of CCTV cameras that each medical college is required to install at crucial locations like the entrance to the OPD (outpatient department) to monitor compliance with all requirements.