The Latest NMC Guidelines

NMC (National Medical Commission) Bill was introduced by Lok Sabha in 2019. NMC was
created to give the medical education system to make sure:

1. Availability of top-class and appropriate medical professionals.

2. Utilizing new medical technology by medical professionals.
3. Time to time evaluation of medical institutions.
4. A successful mechanism for injustice redressal.

Functions of NMC

According to the new guidelines, the main tasks of NMC are given below:

 Medical Advisory Council: According to the National Medical Committee, the central
government will constitute a Medical Advisory Council through which the issues of the
states and Union territories (UT) can be put forward to NMC and will advise NMC about
maintaining the minimum standards of the medical education.
 Autonomous boards: Autonomous boards will be set up undertaken by NMC, each
board with the President and four members. The boards
o Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and the Post-
Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB): These boards have the
responsibilities to set up the curriculum, guidelines, and approving identifications
to medical qualifications at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
o The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB): This board is responsible
for penalties on medical institutions that have not followed the standards set by
UGMEB and PGMEB also it permits setting new medical college.
o The Ethics and Medical Registration Board: This board is responsible for
maintaining the National register containing only the licensed medical
practitioners who can practice medicine. The Community health providers list is
also maintained in the National register.
 Community health providers: NMC may allow some middle-level practitioners in the
modern medical profession to practice medicine. They can prescribe medicines only for
primary health care and need the supervision of registered practitioners to prescribe
medicines for all other cases.
 Entrance examinations: According to NMC Bill, admissions to undergraduate and
postgraduate medical education will be granted on the basis of the common entrance test
of national eligibility.
 According to NMC, there will be a common final year undergraduate examination called
National Exit Test (NEXT) for students graduating from medical college. The exam will
allow these students to get the license for practice or to get admission in postgraduate
courses.

NEXT- National exit examination for medical students

NEXT, also called National Exit examination, will be a national level exam that can assess the
understanding and knowledge of MBBS students studying in medical colleges. The exam is
intended to evaluate the skills gained by final year MBBS students and enhance the quality of
medical students pursuing the postgraduate courses in medical colleges. The exam will replace
the NEET-PG as per the NMC Bill, which occurred for the medical students to get admission
into postgraduate courses. The NEXT exam has three main purposes: first, it provides a license
to practice medicine and get enrolled in the National register as medical practitioners. Second, it
acts as a common entrance exam at a national level for post-graduation in medical institutions.
Third, it allows the people with foreign medical qualification too get license and practice and get
the name register in the National Register. However, it will be implemented in the next 3 years.

Purpose of the NEXT exam:

1. NEXT is expected to replace the FMGE and FMGE will be merged in with NEXT
exam for the students who are the holder of Foreign Graduate Degree. This is just to
provide them the license to practice medicine in India.
2. NEXT exam is expected to become an exam equal to NEET for PG medical courses in
India.
3. With the implementation of NEXT, applicants once cracking their MBBS exam will have
to work in tribal areas for three years and also post completing, applicants may have to
work in difficult areas for another three years.
4. 50% of the seats in PG under all India quota seats will be filled on the basis of the
NEXT exam.