NMC (National Medical Commission) has released a national alert advising students and parents to beware of medical colleges operating without proper approval. The alert is issued in the wake of increasing reports of bogus or unrecognized institutions running MBBS courses, putting students’ futures at stake and threatening India’s medical education at large.
On May 21, 2025, the National Medical Commission officially named some colleges, including Singhania University in Rajasthan and Sanjiban Hospital and Medical College in Howrah, West Bengal, for reportedly providing MBBS courses without legal recognition. The NMC has made it clear that these colleges are not mentioned in the official list of recognized medical colleges on its website.
The advisory has been issued by Raghav Langer, NMC Secretary, alongside a request to prospective medical students and their parents to check the status of any medical college before admission. Only those colleges on the NMC official portal are allowed to operate undergraduate and postgraduate medical education courses in India, as per the NMC.
The NMC has also cautioned against “unauthorised” advertisements by certain private colleges and institutions misleading students into thinking that they can give recognised medical degrees. Most of these colleges assert offering MBBS or equivalent medical courses without the statutory approval or inspection of the NMC.
NMC: How can students and parents verify the genuineness of a medical college prior to admission?
The NMC has guided students to visit its official website frequently, where the list of approved medical colleges is provided. Depending on advertisements, college websites, or third-party consultancies without verification from the NMC can result in admission into fake institutions. The advisory has reminded that such unauthorised courses and colleges do not only empty families in terms of money but also deny students a recognised qualification.
In addition, the commission gave a helpline number that can be used by the public: +91-11-25367033. This number can be used by students and parents to report dubious institutions or confirm facts about medical education in India.
The NMC‘s concerns do not end here with domestic institutions. It has also raised a simultaneous alarm to Indian students pursuing MBBS degrees abroad. The commission cautioned potential foreign medical graduates about the stringent compliance requirements under the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021.
Under FMGL regulations, any Indian student pursuing medicine abroad is required to satisfy three fundamental conditions:
- The overall course length should be at least 54 months.
- A 12-month internship should be served at the same institution.
- All training, including clinical rotations, must be done within one country, in the English language.
The NMC warned that not adhering to these requirements will render the graduates ineligible to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), which is obligatory for practicing medicine in India. The NMC will hold the student accountable for disqualification, and appeals or exceptions will not be entertained after the guidelines have been breached.
In recent years, the growth in demand for medical seats in India has paved the way for unregulated operators. With around 100,000 applicants competing for limited MBBS seats annually, those who fail to get government or recognized private college admissions are vulnerable to false promises.
NMC officials said they are in constant communication with state medical councils to identify and act against such unauthorised units. Langer further said issuing spurious degrees or providing unrecognised medical education is a criminal offence under current Indian law, and enforcement agencies have been directed to coordinate efforts to check the menace.
Education experts welcomed the NMC’s move, stating that the growing proliferation of fake institutions is not only exploitative but also poses a major public health risk. “We’re seeing more cases where students complete five years of medical education only to realise their degree is invalid. This not only affects the individual but also the healthcare workforce pipeline,” said a senior academic from a recognised medical college in Delhi.
Parents associations and student groups have also started spreading the NMC advisory on social media networks, urging people in their networks to be cautious. “The advisory couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Pune parent Deepa Kamat. “Admission season is stressful enough — checking a college’s approval status must now become a first step before applying.”
The NMC has reaffirmed that its priority continues to be standardising the quality of medical education throughout India and making sure that only recognised and qualified institutions may practice. It has also urged the public and media to aid in spreading this warning so that no student inadvertently strolls into a trap.
In its future plan, the NMC intends to provide periodic updates and have an up-to-date list of recognized medical schools. It is also contemplating collaborating with online platforms to identify unrecognised colleges promoting medical courses on the internet.
The latest development reflects the NMC‘s broader commitment to streamlining medical education and safeguarding student interests. With this proactive alert, the commission hopes to drastically reduce the number of students who unknowingly fall prey to academic frauds.
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