CIC again directs NMC to disclose medical college assessment reports regularly

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has once again asked the National Medical Commission (NMC) to regularly upload the assessment reports of all medical colleges on the portal. It directed the NMC to comply within 30 days from the day of issuance of order. The order comes after the commission heard the appeal filed by Mohammed Khader Meeran, a doctor and RTI activist, who had sought copies of infrastructure assessment reports of medical colleges.

The commission observed that “disclosing these assessment reports is essential for the aspiring medical students seeking admission into medical courses as it allows them to make informed decisions while choosing the college for admission during NEET UG counselling 2024”.

It asked the NMC to regularly uploaded the assessment details on their website “after taking into consideration the exemptions listed under section 8 (1) and Section 9 of the RTI Act, in compliance with the provisions of the Section 4 of the RTI Act” to boost transparency and in the larger public interest concerning the quality of medical education in the country.

This is not the first time the NMC has been directed to make the assessment report public. Following a complaint, on June 13, 2022, the Center Public Information Officers (CPIO) refused to furnish the details stating that “the information sought is very voluminous and scattered”.

The Medical Council of India (MCI), which used to upload the medical college assessment reports every year, was scrapped on September 25, 2020 and replaced with NMC.

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NMC refuses to make report public

The complainant filed a complaint again, following which the CIC issued an order in March 2023, which stated: “Commission takes very strong exception of non-attendance of PIO during the hearing of Second Appeal. PIO is hereby directed to file a written explanation justifying the said conduct, failing which an action under Section 20(1) and 20(2) of the RTI Act will be initiated against him/her, if necessary.”

The activists sought the document which depicts the list of medical colleges inspected by the national medical commission from June 5th 2023 to July 1st 2023 for UG (MBBS) courses.

In response, the NMC on August 10, 2023, said: “Your online RTI application dated 03.08.2023 cannot be considered as the same is not accompanied with the prescribed fee as required in terms of section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.”

Later, on May 1, 2024, the NMC said: “It is to inform that vide minutes of 14th Meeting of National Medical Commission (held on 01.05.2024), NMC has noted disclosure of Standard Assessment Form (SAF) under RTI and its Suo-moto publishing on NMC website, it has been decided that the SAF report need not be in public domain."

Despite repeated orders from the CIC, the NMC has been refusing to make the reports public. Notably, the assessment reports published by MCI till 2021 was also taken down from the NMC portal.