The National Medical Commission (NMC) recently extended recognition of Assam Medical College and Gauhati Medical College for an additional five years, which is good news for Assamese medical students. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state’s chief minister, made this announcement and tweeted his confirmation. For the MBBS programme, Assam Medical College has been given 170 seats, while Gauhati Medical College has been given 156 seats.
Background
Three medical colleges—Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College—had previously been de-recognized by the NMC (Barpeta Medical). Several shortcomings were discovered during the Commission’s inspections of these institutions, which revealed that they were not in compliance with the established norms. These included difficulties with faculty lists, Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance processes, and CCTV cameras.
The Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), which records staff attendance in accordance with rules, has been actively pushed for by the NMC in all medical colleges. Around 40 medical colleges were subject to harsh punishment earlier this year by the NMC for failing to uphold the required standards for medical education. There were about 100 more colleges.
Appeals and Acknowledgement
By arguing their cases before the NMC’s UG Medical Education Board, Assam Medical College and Gauhati Medical College both appealed the decision to de-recognize them. On June 7, 2023, the Appeal Committee met to discuss the appeals, with Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma, NMC Chairman, presiding.
The principal of Assam Medical College informed the first appeal committee that, among other failings, the vacant position in the ENT Department was the main source of concern. There are currently no faculty vacancies, though the college fixed all of the found flaws. The AEBAS portal requires registration from every faculty member, and the system tracks registered users’ attendance. Additionally, the college made sure that every camera is operational and connected to the NMC Data Center via the HMIS Portal.
The 1st Appeal Committee decided after taking into account Assam Medical College’s appeal to continue recognition of the college for 170 MBBS degree seats for the following five years. Apart from the AEBAS issues, the committee acknowledged that all other institution-wide parameters are satisfactory and in line with NMC standards.
In a similar manner, the Principal of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital informed the First Appeal Committee that all shortcomings identified by the UG Medical Education Board had been corrected. There are no open faculty positions, and every faculty member is listed on the AEBAS website. Many faculty members used the AEBAS system to indicate their attendance during the hearing. The college also made sure that functional cameras were present at key locations.
Following thorough deliberation, the 1st Appeal Committee decided to extend Gauhati Medical College and Hospital’s recognition for 156 MBBS degree seats for the following five years.
The committee emphasised that the institution should set an example for other medical colleges in the northeastern region because, in addition to addressing the AEBAS issues, its parameters are within the NMC’s normal range.
Medical aspirants in the state are relieved that Assam Medical College and Gauhati Medical College will continue to be recognised by the National Medical Commission for another five years. The colleges have successfully corrected the flaws and put the necessary safeguards in place to abide by the NMC’s rules. This choice guarantees that Assam will continue to offer high-quality medical education, strengthening the local healthcare system.
