Vacancies in the National Medical Commission

Overview of Current Vacancies

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) currently has five out of thirty-three positions unfilled, as reported by Union Minister of State for Health, Smt. Anupriya Patel, during a Lok Sabha session. In response to inquiries from members Com. Sevaraj V. and Shri Subbarayan K., Minister Patel detailed that nineteen part-time members were selected through a draw of lots in July 2023, in accordance with the NMC Act, 2019.

Details on Member Positions

Minister Patel stated, “Thirty-three (33) member posts of National Medical Commission (NMC) are notified under NMC Act, 2019. Details of twenty-eight (28) members in position and five (5) vacant posts are at Annexure.” Furthermore, she mentioned that advertisements to attract applications for the vacant posts were published in major national newspapers in both English and Hindi on August 31, 2024, and October 11, 2024.

Queries Raised in Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha members raised questions regarding the prolonged vacancies in the NMC, the total number of members currently serving, and details about the vacancies, including the durations since they became unfilled. Additional inquiries were made about the reasons for the delays in filling these positions and the measures implemented to address the situation.

Composition of the National Medical Commission

The NMC consists of 33 members, which include a Chairperson, 10 ex-officio members (including the Presidents of four autonomous boards, the Director General of Health Services, the Director General of ICMR, and the Director of AIIMS), along with 22 part-time members.

Current Leadership and Vacancies

According to the Ministry’s report, Dr. Abhijat Sheth serves as the current chairperson, with Dr. Vijay Oza and Dr. M. K. Ramesh as Presidents of the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) and Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), respectively. Currently, the positions for the Presidents of the NMC Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) and Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) are vacant.

Ex-Officio Members

The NMC’s six ex-officio members include:
– Dr. Sunita Sharma (DG, DGHS)
– Dr. Rajiv Bahl (DG, ICMR)
– Ms. Vinod Kotwal
– Dr. Vivek Lal
– Dr. M Srinivas
– Dr. C.S. Pramesh

Nominated Part-Time Members

The list of nominated part-time members includes:
– Dr. Nirja Arun Gupta
– Dr. M K Aseri
– Dr. Surender Kashyap
– Dr. Mukesh Tripathi
– Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pulala
– Dr. Dibakar Chandra Deka
– Prof. P.S. Shukla
– Prof. (Dr.) Dinesh Kumar Singh
– Dr. Suman
– Dr. Ashok Khandelwal
– Dr. Sudipta Kumar Roy
– Dr. Sharanabasappa S. Karbhari
– Dr. George Thira
– Dr. Mahesh Kumar Sinha
– Dr. Kanak Choudhury
– Dr. Sandeep Dogra
– Dr. Anup Kumar Barman
– Dr. Simpson Sareo
– Dr. Manoj Kumar Verma

Summary of Vacant Positions

Currently, three posts for part-time members at the NMC are vacant; two of these positions have been unfilled since September 2024, while one has been vacant since September 2020.

Recent Developments

Medic Helpline reported that earlier this year, Smt. Patel informed the Rajya Sabha of a total of 19 vacant posts across four autonomous boards of the NMC, including those for the Presidents of the UGMEB, MARB, and EMRB. The Ministry had previously invited applications for these and other vacant positions in the NMC’s autonomous boards.

Conclusion

The ongoing efforts to fill these vacancies continue to be a significant focus for the Ministry of Health, addressing concerns raised in Parliament about the operational effectiveness of the NMC and its various boards.