From MCI to NMC: Old Ghosts Haunt India's Medical Education

The National Medical Commission was created with promises of transparent inspections, reduced corruption, better governance, and improved standards to break this cycle of corruption.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

In September 2020, the National Medical Commission (NMC) was officially constituted to replace the much controversial and tainted Medical Council of India (MCI), whose name had become synonymous with taking bribes to allow institutions to be declared as medical colleges, admit students and charge fees in lakhs, despite no infrastructure, no teachers, no staff.

Before it was shut down, MCI's notoriety rose with its former president, Ketan Desai.

He was initially removed from the MCI presidency in 2001 by the Delhi High Court on grounds of "corrupt practices and abuse of power," following revelations of financial irregularities. However, his infamy reached its peak with his dramatic arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April 2010.

This arrest was on charges of criminal conspiracy and demanding a substantial bribe from a private medical college (Gian Sagar Medical College) to secure a favorable recommendation from the MCI, despite the college's deficiencies.

Desai was alleged to operate an opaque system that facilitated the manipulation of medical college approvals and seat allocations for illicit gains.

During CBI raids, significant amounts of wealth, including 1.5 kg of gold and 80 kg of silver, were reportedly recovered from his premises and bank lockers. After Desai was arrested, MCI was superseded by a Board of Governors in 2010. The board was appointed to take over the MCI's functions in May 2010.

However, the removal of Desai did not stop MCI related controversies.

In May 2017, MCI found significant deficiencies in the infrastructure, faculty, and facilities of the Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Lucknow, run by the Prasad Education Trust. Consequently, the college was debarred from admitting students for the academic years 2017-18 and 2018-19.