Commission cautions aspirants and parents against unauthorised MBBS admissions, forged approval documents and misleading offers; advises verification before paying fees
New Delhi, November 10 :
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a fresh advisory cautioning students, parents and the general public against fraudulent medical institutions allegedly offering medical courses without obtaining mandatory statutory recognition or regulatory approval.
The Commission has urged prospective medical students and their families to exercise extreme caution before accepting admission offers, enrolling in institutions or making any admission-related payments, stressing that the authenticity and regulatory status of every institution must be independently verified.
The advisory has been issued in compliance with directions of the Supreme Court in the ongoing matter titled Ayesha Jain v. Amity University, Noida & Others, wherein regulatory authorities, including the NMC, were directed to sensitise students and parents about the risks associated with unrecognised educational institutions.
The issue came into focus following a reported instance of a purported fake medical college allegedly operating from a farmhouse while claiming to offer various courses.
NMC STRESSES VERIFICATION OF MBBS COLLEGE RECOGNITION
The Commission has specifically advised students aspiring to pursue MBBS courses to verify whether the concerned medical college features in the official list of institutions published by the NMC and whether it has obtained the requisite permission to admit students for the particular academic year.
It has further clarified that a college’s presence in the official list or its previous functioning does not automatically establish that it is authorised to admit students in subsequent academic sessions or beyond its approved intake capacity.
Candidates have been advised to independently verify the institution’s permission status, approved courses and sanctioned number of seats through official NMC and Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) records.
WARNING AGAINST FAKE ADMISSION LETTERS AND MISLEADING ADVERTISEMENTS
The NMC has cautioned students against placing blind trust in promotional brochures, prospectuses, websites, advertisements, social media campaigns and purported Letters of Permission or approval certificates circulated by institutions, agents or intermediaries.
The Commission has emphasised that any doubt regarding the authenticity of regulatory documents must be clarified directly with the competent authority through its official communication channels.
STUDENTS ADVISED TO FOLLOW OFFICIAL COUNSELLING PROCEDURES
The advisory further directs candidates to use authorised admission and counselling mechanisms wherever prescribed.
For MBBS admissions, students have been advised to follow the applicable procedures through the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), wherever applicable, or the competent State and Union Territory counselling authorities.
The Commission has also warned against making admission-related payments to unauthorised agents, personal bank accounts or unverified intermediaries.
BUILDING OR WEBSITE DOES NOT ESTABLISH LEGAL RECOGNITION
The NMC has also advised students and parents to carefully examine claims regarding institutional infrastructure, clinical training facilities, hospital facilities and medical education opportunities.
It has clarified that the mere existence of a building, office, website or promotional advertisement cannot be treated as evidence that an institution has obtained the necessary statutory authorisation to impart medical education.
The Commission has further explained that affiliation, registration or recognition granted by one regulatory authority for a particular purpose cannot automatically be considered permission from the NMC to conduct an MBBS course.
PUBLIC URGED TO REPORT SUSPECTED ADMISSION FRAUDS
Students, parents and members of the public have been urged to report suspected fake medical colleges, unauthorised MBBS programmes, forged permission letters, fraudulent admission offers and misleading representations to the NMC and other competent authorities.
Such complaints may also be brought to the notice of the concerned State or UT Department of Medical Education, relevant regulatory authorities and local police, wherever appropriate.
The Commission has advised complainants to preserve relevant advertisements, payment receipts, correspondence, website details and other supporting evidence.
SEPARATE REGULATORY AUTHORITIES FOR OTHER COURSES
Clarifying the regulatory framework, the NMC stated that courses such as Pharmacy, Nursing, Ayurveda, Allied and Healthcare programmes and other professional qualifications fall under the jurisdiction of different statutory or competent regulatory authorities.
Students seeking admission to such courses have therefore been advised to verify their recognition and approval status directly with the respective regulatory bodies.
The Commission has stressed that timely verification and reporting of suspected fraudulent activities are essential to prevent financial exploitation of students, curb the misuse of statutory authorities’ names and maintain the credibility and standards of medical education in the country.
The advisory calls upon students and parents to remain vigilant and rely exclusively on authentic information available through official regulatory and counselling platforms before making decisions concerning medical education.(KNC)