New Delhi: The National Medical Commission, NMC, has scrapped its 2023 regulations on maintaining standards in medical education, but medical colleges will still have to file Annual Disclosure Reports (ADRs) as required by law.
The decision was announced in a notification dated October 14 and published in the Gazette of India. The regulations, which came into force following their notification on September 19, 2023, and publication in the official gazette on September 21, 2023, have now been withdrawn with immediate effect.
Issued under Sections 10, 24, 25 and 57 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the notification also explains how existing approvals, legal obligations and pending regulatory matters will be handled following the withdrawal.
NMC WITHDRAWS 2023 RULES: WHAT DOES THE NOTIFICATION SAY?
The commission has not specified a separate reason for withdrawing the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023.
However, the notification makes clear that the decision will not retrospectively cancel actions taken while the regulations were in force. Approvals, renewals, orders, decisions and directions issued under the earlier framework will continue to remain valid.
Similarly, rights and privileges already acquired, along with obligations and liabilities incurred before the withdrawal, will not automatically cease to exist. These provisions establish that the removal of the regulations does not, by itself, reverse earlier regulatory decisions or extinguish existing legal responsibilities.
ADR REQUIREMENT REMAINS IN FORCE FOR MEDICAL COLLEGES
Despite the withdrawal, medical colleges and other medical institutions must continue submitting Annual Disclosure Reports under the applicable legal framework.
“The requirement of furnishing the Annual Disclosure Report (ADR) shall continue to operate in accordance with Section 24(i) and 25(h) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 and the regulations applicable from time to time,” the notification stated.
ADRs form part of the statutory disclosure requirements applicable to medical institutions. The latest notification does not exempt colleges from these obligations. Institutions must therefore continue to follow the reporting requirements prescribed under the provisions currently in force.
For medical colleges, this means that the withdrawal of the 2023 regulations should not be interpreted as the end of their mandatory disclosure responsibilities.
HOW WILL PENDING NMC CASES AND APPLICATIONS BE HANDLED?
The notification also sets out how regulatory matters already underway will be treated.
Applications, appeals, inquiries, proceedings and other pending matters may continue to be dealt with under the withdrawn 2023 regulations, wherever applicable and in accordance with the conditions specified in the notification.
Matters arising after the date of withdrawal, meanwhile, will be governed by the NMC Act, 2019, and the statutory or regulatory provisions applicable at the time.
The distinction provides continuity for certain matters initiated under the earlier rules while establishing the legal framework for cases arising after their withdrawal.
Medical institutions with pending applications or proceedings will need to refer to the notification and the relevant provisions to determine how their individual cases are affected.
WHAT MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS NEED TO KNOW
The withdrawal changes the regulatory framework under which medical education standards were governed, but it does not automatically invalidate earlier approvals or remove existing statutory obligations.
Medical colleges must continue filing Annual Disclosure Reports and comply with the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to them. The status of pending cases will depend on the transitional provisions set out in the NMC notification.
The National Medical Commission is the statutory authority responsible for regulating medical education and the medical profession in India. Its latest notification clarifies the consequences of withdrawing the 2023 regulations while preserving the treatment of specified earlier decisions and pending matters.
