NMC warns students against fake medical colleges, asks MBBS aspirants to verify approval before admission

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The National Medical Commission (NMC) has cautioned students and parents against seeking admission to medical colleges without verifying their regulatory recognition and approval status. In an advisory issued on November 7, the medical regulator urged candidates to independently check whether an institution is authorised to offer MBBS courses for the relevant academic year before accepting an admission offer or making any fee payment.The warning comes amid concerns over fraudulent educational institutions making misleading claims about their recognition, courses, and admission facilities.

The commission's advisory follows directions issued by the Supreme Court in an ongoing case, Ayesha Jain vs Amity University, Noida, and Others, asking regulatory authorities, including the NMC, to sensitise students and parents about the risks of dealing with unauthorised institutions.The Supreme Court's intervention followed a reported incident involving a purported fake medical college allegedly operating from a farmhouse and claiming to offer multiple courses.

The development has brought renewed attention to the need for strict verification of medical institutions and their regulatory credentials.NMC asks MBBS aspirants to check college approval for the relevant academic year As part of its advisory, the NMC has asked students seeking MBBS admission to verify whether the medical college features on the commission's official list of recognised or approved medical institutions.

Candidates must also establish whether the institution has received the requisite permission to admit students for the particular academic year.The commission has clarified that the presence of a college on an official list or its permission to operate in an earlier academic session does not automatically establish its eligibility to admit students in subsequent years.This distinction is particularly important for candidates participating in the MBBS admission process, as regulatory permissions and sanctioned intake can vary across academic sessions.Students have therefore been advised to check the institution's current approval status, the courses it is authorised to offer and the number of sanctioned seats through official records maintained by the NMC and its Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB).NMC warns against misleading advertisements and forged approval letters The commission has also cautioned students against treating information circulated by medical colleges as proof of regulatory recognition.According to the advisory, candidates should not rely exclusively on college websites, advertisements, admission brochures, social media posts or permission letters circulated by institutions and their representatives.

Such material may contain misleading claims or documents that have not been independently verified by the competent authority.The NMC has advised students and parents to approach the concerned regulatory body directly through its official communication channels if they have doubts about the authenticity of an institution or the documents presented during the admission process.The warning assumes importance as students and families often make substantial financial commitments while securing medical seats.

An admission offer or a document bearing the name of a regulatory authority should not be treated as sufficient evidence of approval without independent confirmation.Candidates advised to use official MBBS counselling channels For MBBS admissions conducted through the centralised counselling process, the NMC has recommended that candidates rely on authorised admission channels.Students should use the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) portal or the respective state and Union Territory counselling authorities for admission-related information and procedures.The commission's advice is aimed at preventing candidates from falling prey to unauthorised admission agents, private intermediaries and individuals promising medical seats outside the prescribed counselling framework.Candidates should also verify the institution and course details against the official counselling records before proceeding with admission formalities.Pharmacy, Nursing and Ayurveda courses have separate regulators The NMC has clarified that its regulatory jurisdiction does not extend to every healthcare-related academic programme.

Courses such as pharmacy, nursing, Ayurveda and allied healthcare programmes fall under different statutory regulatory authorities.Students seeking admission to these programmes must therefore approach the respective regulators to establish whether the institution and the course have the necessary approvals.The commission's advisory makes it important for candidates to identify the competent regulatory authority for their chosen programme rather than assuming that approval from one medical or healthcare regulator applies across disciplines.NMC cautions against payments to unauthorised agents The commission has issued a specific warning against making...