What happened
The NMC pulled MSMER-2023 with immediate effect from an October 2026 notification under Sections 10, 24, 25 and 57 of the 2019 NMC Act.
Why it matters
Institutions keep filing the Annual Disclosure Report, but MARB's independent evaluation of the numbers they file is no longer in the rulebook.
Remember this
Colleges can no longer be cross-checked by their own filing.
More context & who is affected
The National Medical Commission pulled the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, with immediate effect. The notification, issued under Section 10, 24, 25 and 57 of the 2019 NMC Act, also left prior approvals, renewals, orders and pending inquiries in place.
With the withdrawn rulebook, the entire penalty ladder fell: fines up to Rs 1 crore per violation, accreditation removal for up to five years, seat cuts and refusal of new-course applications, plus a Rs 5 lakh personal fine on faculty who filed false records. Broader criminal law still reaches fabricated documents.
Institutions must keep filing the Annual Disclosure Report under the Act's Sections 24(i) and 25(h). What MARB dropped is the independent evaluation — infrastructure walks, faculty counts, student feedback — so a college's own disclosure now stands on its own word.
- Per-violation fine lifted
- Rs 1 crore Maximum per-violation fine that fell with the withdrawn rulebook.The Indian Express
- Personal fine lifted
- Rs 5 lakh Personal penalty on faculty for false declarations that is no longer in force under MSMER-2023.The Indian Express
- ADR statutory basis retained
- Sections 24(i), 25(h) Sections of the 2019 NMC Act that continue to oblige institutions to file the Annual Disclosure Report after the MSMER-2023 withdrawal.The Times of India
Timeline
- 19 Sep 2023 — NMC notifies MSMER-2023 (published in the Gazette 21 Sep 2023).
- 14 Oct 2026 — NMC issues withdrawal notification under Sections 10, 24, 25 and 57 of the 2019 NMC Act.
- Post-withdrawal — ADR filing continues under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the Act; MSMER-2023 penalty ladder no longer applies.
Medical College Administrators
Medical institutions lose the MSMER-2023 enforcement toolkit; the penalty ladder for standard violations no longer applies to new matters.
Medical Faculty Doctors
Faculty, deans and directors lose the Rs 5 lakh personal fine under MSMER-2023 for false declarations; general criminal law still covers fabricated records.
Aspirant Students And Parents
Students and parents reading annual disclosures face a weaker verification layer, since MARB's independent evaluation under MSMER-2023 has been withdrawn.
Reporting fromThe Times of India ↗The Indian Express ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- The Times of IndiaReporting
NMC denotifies medical education rules; annual disclosures risk lacking verification ↗
Published Oct 20, 2026 · Accessed Oct 22, 2026 - The Indian ExpressReportingPublished Oct 18, 2026 · Accessed Oct 22, 2026
Claims and linked sources
The National Medical Commission withdrew MSMER-2023 with immediate effect, leaving prior approvals, renewals, orders and pending inquiries unaffected.
The Annual Disclosure Report remains mandatory under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the 2019 NMC Act and any regulations notified going forward.
Fines up to Rs 1 crore per violation and the Rs 5 lakh personal fine on faculty for false declarations are no longer in force with the withdrawn rules.
With MARB's independent evaluation removed, a college's annual disclosure now rests on the college's own word rather than an outside check.
