Srinagar, Aug 23: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges across the country to put in place a strict, time-bound compliance mechanism covering student suicides and unnatural deaths, faculty and administrative vacancies, medical assistance and scholarship disbursement.
The directions have been issued through a public notice dated August 23, 2026, with the NMC seeking regular compliance/action taken reports from medical institutions.
As part of the compliance requirements, medical colleges have been asked to report student suicides and unnatural deaths to the police authorities and ensure annual reporting of such incidents to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other regulatory bodies.
The NMC has also stressed the need for 24×7 access to qualified medical assistance, either on the campus or within a distance of one kilometre.
In another significant direction, institutions have been asked to fill vacant faculty positions within four months, besides undertaking special recruitment drives for reserved posts.
Key administrative vacancies are also to be addressed within four months. The institutions have to submit annual reports detailing the status of reserved posts, vacancies, reasons for vacancies and the time taken for filling them.
The Commission has further directed institutions to clear the backlog of pending scholarship disbursements within four months. In cases where the backlog cannot be cleared within the stipulated period, institutions will have to issue a notice explaining the reasons within two months.
The notice also provides for a Compliance/Action Taken Report mechanism, requiring institutions to furnish details of the steps taken on the prescribed parameters. The NMC has described compliance with the directions and applicable UGC regulations as mandatory.
The move assumes significance amid growing emphasis on student safety, mental health support and institutional accountability in medical colleges.
The directions seek to ensure that institutions do not merely report incidents but also maintain systems for timely medical assistance, adequate staffing and resolution of pending student-related issues.
