CIC Mandates NMC to Publicly Disclose Medical College Assessment Reports Within 30 Days
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It has directed, once again, the National Medical Commission to upload within 30 days on its portal the assessment reports of all medical colleges. This comes in the light of an appeal filed by Dr. Mohammed Khader Meeran, doctor-cum-RTI activist, who sought copies of the infrastructure assessment reports of medical colleges from the National Medical Commission.
These assessment reports, the CIC said, were very crucial for aspiring medical students to make informed decisions during the NEET UG counselling 2024. The commission pointed out that “these assessment reports are necessary to be made known to aspiring medical students so that they can make an informed decision while choosing colleges”.
Despite directions to the contrary, the NMC has been unwilling to publish these reports. In June 2022, the NMC declined to provide the information, describing the data as “voluminous and scattered.” These reports used to be uploaded every year by the Medical Council of India, MCI, which was replaced by the NMC on September 25, 2020.
In March 2023, the CIC took strong exception to the non-compliance by the NMC and threatened action under Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the RTI Act if explanations were not furnished.
Again, in May 2024, the stand was reiterated by the NMC. It has decided that SAF reports need not be in the public domain. This was in contradiction to the earlier practices, for even the previously published MCI reports till 2021 were taken down from the NMC portal.
The latest order of the CIC attempts at increasing transparency and serving larger public interest by ensuring that information of quality regarding medical education institutions in India is available to aspiring medical students.
