Doctor blacklisted by National Medical Commission 'for taking Rs 10 lakh bribe'   

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has blacklisted a senior doctor working as assessor for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 10 lakh in lieu of giving a favourable assessment report to a private medical college in Karnataka.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested the doctor in May. The doctor has been blacklisted pending investigation and final verdict in the matter.

As an exemplary action, it has been decided that the renewal of existing number of seats of the said college in under-graduate and postgraduate courses shall not be done for the academic year 2025-26, the Commission said.

Further, the application for increase of seats and starting of new courses for both UG and PG received by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board for academic year 2025-26 shall be cancelled and not processed further.

In a statement on July 2, the NMC said it delegates senior faculty members from various government medical colleges across the country, who volunteer to conduct periodic inspections in medical institutions on behalf of the Commission.

As such, the assessors are not employed by the Commission but are pooled in from nation-wide government medical colleges and assigned for inspections through a randomisation process.

"The NMC is committed to upholding utmost integrity in all its work and maintain transparency at all levels. The Commission has a no tolerance policy towards corruption and any such untoward incident by any person or medical institution is being dealt by the Commission as per relevant penal provisions of the NMC Act and the Regulations made therein under," it stated.

"Under the relevant penal provisions of the Act, the Commission may take such actions against violators as deemed fit viz; imposition of monetary penalty, withholding processing of application for any new scheme(s) for that academic year or for such number of years, reducing the number of students in the next or subsequent academic years to be admitted by the medical institution," it added.

It advised all medical colleges and stakeholders to conform strictly to the NMC rules and regulations and uphold the ethos of quality medical education, professionalism and public trust.