Posted By :  Admin1

New Delhi: Lawmakers on Friday urged the government to "reassess" a contentious directive issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) that effectively halts the establishment of new medical colleges in southern India. Additionally, they called on the ministry to formulate "region-specific norms." The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, within its report on medical education, recommended a review of the uniform criteria set forth in the UG-MSR (Under Graduate-Minimum Standards Regulations) to accommodate potential geographic disparities and to establish region-specific guidelines or norms. Six months after the NMC published the regulation outlining norms for the establishment of new medical colleges, the recommendation from the MPs was made. The proposed criterion, stipulating 100 MBBS seats for every 10 lakh population, would effectively prevent the opening of new medical colleges in any of the southern states. This is because the number of MBBS seats in each southern state exceeds what the population-based formula suggests. Tamil Nadu currently has 11,600 seats for an estimated population of 7.64 crore as of 2021, while Karnataka has 11,695 seats for 6.68 crore residents, Andhra Pradesh boasts 6,435 seats for 5.27 crore inhabitants, Kerala offers 4,655 seats for its 3.54 crore population, and Telangana provides 8,540 seats for its 3.77 crore residents. Under the NMC guidelines, Tamil Nadu should ideally have around 7,600 seats, whereas the maximum number of MBBS seats in Karnataka (6,700), Andhra Pradesh (5,300), Kerala (3,500), and Telangana (3,700) are all significantly lower than the actual figures. The NMC notification, titled "Guidelines for Undergraduate Courses under the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023," sparked a significant political controversy, with southern states accusing the Union government of unfair treatment. Upon reviewing the issue, the Parliamentary Committee identified numerous concerns regarding certain guidelines for opening new medical colleges and also regarding permissions to increase the number of undergraduate seats. The lawmakers proposed that instead of merely increasing seats in general surgery, pharmacology, and anatomy, the government should assess the future demand for pediatricians, ophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, critical care specialists, and infectious disease specialists over the next 20-25 years. In the report, the Committee stated its belief that a focused endeavor to train specialists/doctors according to the demand of disease burdens will effectively address India's future healthcare requirements. Regarding the proposed NExT, the contentious exit examination for MBBS graduates, the panel has urged the government to thoroughly assess the implications of its implementation and exercise due diligence in addressing all concerns before making a decision. The panel also suggested providing students with sufficient preparation time and ensuring that the evaluation criteria are "moderate," thus preventing any graduates from experiencing undue advantage or disadvantage. In June 2023, the NMC unveiled the Exit Test Regulations 2023, indicating that the test would replace the final MBBS examination and serve as a licensure exam for registration to practice. However, a month later, the Commission announced the deferment of the National Exit Test (NExT) examination on the advice of the Health Ministry until further directives