NMC cautions students against fake medical colleges, forged approval letters

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has cautioned students and parents against taking admission to medical colleges or making payments without checking the institutions' authenticity and regulatory approval, as per PTI.

The advisory follows instances of institutions offering medical courses without statutory permission. It was issued in compliance with Supreme Court directions in the ongoing Ayesha Jain v Amity University, Noida and Others case.

The Supreme Court had directed regulatory bodies, including the NMC, to warn students and parents against dealing with educational institutions without first verifying their authenticity. The direction came in the context of a reported case involving a purported fake medical college operating from a farmhouse and claiming to offer various courses.

The commission said students and parents should "exercise due diligence and verify the authenticity and regulatory status of any institution" before seeking admission, enrolling in or making any



payment for a medical course, PTI reported.

The NMC urged students and parents to report suspected fake medical colleges, unauthorised MBBS courses, forged permission letters, fraudulent admission offers or misleading claims to the commission and other competent authorities.

It also clarified that courses such as pharmacy, nursing, Ayurveda, and allied and healthcare programmes come under different statutory or competent regulatory authorities. Their regulatory status should be checked with the authority concerned.

"Timely verification and reporting of suspected fraudulent activities are essential to protect students from financial loss, prevent misuse of the name of statutory authorities and safeguard the standards and integrity of medical education," the NMC said.

The commission reiterated that students and parents must verify a medical college's approval, course permission and sanctioned intake through official records before seeking admission or making any payment.