One commission now regulates all of India’s medical education and doctors. The National Medical Commission replaced a council that had run since 1934, and it still has not launched its planned single exit exam.
Must Know
The National Medical Commission
What the NMC Is
- Full formNMC is the National Medical Commission.
- JobIt is India’s statutory regulator for medical education and the medical profession.
- LawIt was set up under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, effective 25 September 2020.
- BeforeIt replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI), which had regulated medicine since 1934.
- WhyThe MCI was widely criticised for corruption and for failing to check the mushrooming of low-quality medical colleges.
- MinistryIt works under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Structure and Composition
- SizeThe NMC has 33 members: one Chairperson, ten ex-officio members and 22 part-time members.
- Why so manyThe large, mixed membership lets many voices in medical education and practice be heard.
- Ex-officioEx-officio members serve by holding another office, not by fresh appointment.
- Part-timePart-time members add outside expertise without working full-time in the Commission.
- HeadAs of July 2026, Abhijith Sheth serves as Chairperson.
Four Autonomous Boards
- CountThe Act created four autonomous boards under the Commission.
- Board 1The Under-Graduate Medical Education Board sets standards for MBBS courses and colleges.
- WhySplitting the work into boards lets each focus on one stage of a doctor’s training.
- Board 2The Post-Graduate Medical Education Board does the same for postgraduate training.
- Board 3The Medical Assessment and Rating Board inspects colleges and rates their quality.
- HowInspection and rating are what let the system catch a substandard college early.
- Board 4The Ethics and Medical Registration Board maintains the register of doctors and handles ethics.
- SoEvery doctor practising in India is on a register this board controls.
- StatesThe Medical Advisory Council lets states raise concerns with the Commission.
Fee Regulation
- RuleUnder Section 10(1)(i), the NMC sets fee guidelines for 50% of seats in private medical colleges.
- CapThose seats must charge fees on par with a government college in the same state.
- WhyPrivate medical fees can be huge; this rule forces half the seats to be affordable.
- HowA student who clears the entrance gets a place at government-level fees, not market rates.
- SoMerit, not money, decides who can afford to train as a doctor.
Good to Know
Exams and Reform
The NExT Exam
- Full formNExT is the National Exit Test.
- PlainIt is one planned exam that would decide both whether a student finishes MBBS and gets a PG seat.
- IdeaIt was meant to replace both the final MBBS exam and NEET-PG with a single test.
- WhyOne exam would cut repeated testing and standardise how doctors are licensed.
- DelayIt has been deferred multiple times, now to around 2028-29.
- SoUntil it arrives, the older separate exams keep running.
NEET-PG 2026 Reform
- EventOn 3 July 2026, the NMC and NBEMS announced a reformed NEET-PG 2026 format.
- Full formNBEMS is the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences.
- ChangeThe exam drops from 200 to 180 questions, giving roughly 30 extra minutes.
- WhyFewer questions with more time aim to reduce stress and test understanding, not speed.
- AllocationA randomised centre-allocation system replaces first-come-first-served booking.
- HowStudents choose three preferred states, and PwBD candidates get priority.
- SoThe reform tries to make a high-stakes exam fairer and less pressured.
✅ Test Yourself
Work through a 5-question chain on the National Medical Commission, then keep practising with a random Indian Polity question.
Great to Know
Why the Delay Matters
What the NMC Regulates
- ScopeThe NMC governs entry to medicine, the quality of colleges and the conduct of doctors.
- DoctorsIt maintains a national register of licensed medical practitioners.
- WhyIf a name is not on the register, that person is not legally allowed to practise medicine.
- CollegesIts boards inspect institutions and can act against those that fall short.
- HowInspection and rating let it close down or discipline colleges that teach badly.
- SoThis makes the NMC a gatekeeper for who practises medicine in India.
Why NExT Keeps Slipping
- ReasonThe NMC cited legal, infrastructural and technical challenges.
- MechanismRunning a nationwide licensing exam needs test centres, software and trained staff across the country.
- Why hardGetting all of that reliable for lakhs of students at once is a huge logistical task.
- PlanIt will run mock NExT exams in the meantime to test the system.
- SoMocks let it find problems before rolling out the real thing.
- LessonBig exam reforms need more than a law; they need logistics, infrastructure and stability.
Current Affairs
📰 Current Affairs
NEET-PG 2026 Format
- EventOn 3 July 2026, the NMC and NBEMS announced a reformed NEET-PG 2026 exam format.
- SizeThe exam drops from 200 to 180 questions, giving roughly 30 extra minutes.
- AllocationA randomised centre-allocation system, with priority for PwBD candidates, replaces first-come-first-served booking.
- Full formPwBD is Persons with Benchmark Disabilities.
- SourceNewkerala.
NExT Deferred Again
- EventOn 30 October 2025, the NMC deferred NExT for another 3-4 years.
- ReasonIt cited legal, infrastructural and technical challenges.
- SourceEdufever.
PYQ
Exam Point of View
MCQ Questions
- ScopeThe NMC, MCI and NExT appear in UPSC and other competitive exams.
Written Answer Questions
- ThemeMedical regulation and professional bodies are recurring GS-II themes.
Beyond the answer
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