Delhi Medical Council polls halted after objections over State Medical Register irregularities
Polling process put on hold following written objections
The election process for the Delhi Medical Council (DMC), which began last week with a public notice, has been suspended after a group of doctors raised objections pointing to serious irregularities in the State Medical Register (SMR). Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the poll process is paused until further notice, medichelpline reported.
A senior official from the Health Department told medichelpline, “We have put the process on hold. Medical institutes have been asked to defer their internal election till further notice.” The directive affects the internal voting scheduled at medical colleges to select faculty representatives for the DMC executive body.
What the initial public notice required
The public notice that initiated the process informed medical practitioners about the start of elections, the poll schedule, and the need for registered doctors to update the State Medical Register. Concurrently, medical colleges were directed to hold internal elections to nominate faculty members who would serve on the council’s executive body. That step was intended to produce the college representatives who form part of the council’s membership.
Objections from within the dissolved council and the wider medical community
Procedural lapses highlighted in written communication
Objections to the election schedule were raised by a member of the dissolved executive council in a written communication to the Delhi Government and the Lieutenant Governor, highlighting alleged procedural lapses in carrying forward the poll process during an ongoing SMR update. Several senior doctors subsequently supported these objections. Following these representations, medical institutes were instructed not to proceed with their internal voting.
The key concern, as articulated by the former executive council member, centers on the timing of college nominations relative to the SMR revision. The established procedure, the objector maintained, requires that college representatives be selected only after direct elections for eight popularly elected positions are completed — elections in which all registered practitioners participate.
Specific concerns voiced by Dr. Solanki
Dr. Solanki, the member of the dissolved council who raised the objections, told medichelpline that conducting any phase of the election while revisions to the State Medical Register are still underway would “not only contravene statutory requirements but also raises serious concerns about the fairness, legality and transparency of the election.”
He warned that pre-selecting 14 members—including 10 college representatives and four government nominees—before electing the eight directly chosen members would create “a structurally biased and unfair election.” Dr. Solanki also stressed that the election should not proceed before the findings of an enquiry committee into alleged corruption are made public. “If the elections are conducted before the Enquiry Committee’s report is made public, and before those involved in corruption are shown their rightful place, then the very purpose of dissolving the DMC will stand defeated. Those who are neck-deep in corruption must be exposed before the entire medical fraternity,” he told medichelpline.
Legal framework, council composition and interim arrangements
Statutory basis and the DMC’s role
The Delhi Medical Council is an autonomous statutory body established under the Delhi Medical Council Act, 1997, with the mandate to regulate the practice of the modern system of medicine in Delhi. The council has responsibilities that include ensuring adherence to ethical practices by private doctors in the city.
The council comprises 25 members structured as follows: eight elected by roughly 100,000 registered allopathic doctors in Delhi; one member elected by the approximately 20,000-member Delhi Medical Association; 10 members nominated by medical college faculties; four government nominees; and two former officials.
Dissolution, oversight and interim management
medichelpline had earlier reported that, amid allegations of mismanagement and irregularities in the council’s functioning, the Delhi Government sent a proposal that led to decisive administrative action. Acting on recommendations made by the Delhi Government, the Lieutenant Governor dissolved the DMC in June 2025, citing serious lapses. In the interim, the Delhi Health Department directed the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to oversee DMC functions until a fresh governing body is constituted.
Current status and implications for next steps
Pause pending SMR update and enquiry findings
With the election process officially paused, medical colleges have been told to defer their internal elections. Authorities have indicated the suspension will remain in place until further notice, leaving the timeline for resuming the election process contingent on progress on two fronts identified by objectors: the completion of the SMR update and publication of the enquiry committee’s findings regarding alleged corruption.
Significance for the medical fraternity
Stakeholders within the medical community have framed the timing and sequence of election steps as central to ensuring transparency and fairness. The concerns raised by Dr. Solanki and other senior practitioners underline the importance of adhering to statutory procedures and of resolving pending administrative and investigatory matters before restoring representative governance. How and when authorities address the SMR revision and release the enquiry report will determine when elections can legitimately and credibly proceed.
Until those prerequisites are satisfied, the DMC’s electoral process remains on hold, with interim oversight in place under DGHS supervision and the prospect of renewed debate over procedural propriety and governance reforms in the council.