Wed Sep 24 14:09:40 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article:
**Summary:**
National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairman Abhijat Sheth addressed concerns about quality in Indian medical education during the IMA Hyderabad City branch’s foundation day celebrations. He acknowledged the need to balance expanding MBBS seats with improving postgraduate opportunities, competency-based training, and digital learning. He emphasized reforms to exam patterns, easing accreditation barriers, and reinforcing quality in teaching and infrastructure, advocating for gradual and well-planned changes.
**News Article:**
**NMC Chief Addresses Quality Concerns Amid Medical Education Expansion**
HYDERABAD, September 24, 2025 – India’s medical education system faces the challenge of maintaining quality while significantly increasing capacity, according to National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairman Abhijat Sheth. Speaking at the 86th foundation day of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Hyderabad City branch, Dr. Sheth outlined plans to expand MBBS seats to 1.23 lakh for the 2025-26 academic year, while simultaneously addressing concerns about potential quality dilution.
“Numbers are critical both for sustaining quality and ensuring equitable access,” Dr. Sheth stated, emphasizing the importance of ensuring every undergraduate has the opportunity for postgraduate education. He acknowledged existing gaps in postgraduate training and advocated for a 1:1 ratio between undergraduate and postgraduate seats to maintain both quality and opportunity.
The NMC Chairman also addressed criticisms regarding exam patterns, specifically excessive negative marking, and called for reforms to ensure fair evaluation without compromising standards. He highlighted the NMC’s focus on competency-based medical education, emphasizing the integration of skill labs, virtual training, digital learning, and artificial intelligence into future training programs.
Dr. Sheth further emphasized the need to streamline accreditation processes and eliminate outdated barriers, such as restrictive land and infrastructure requirements, to allow institutions to focus on teaching, learning, and student support. He cautioned against overly rapid reforms, drawing parallels to the Soviet Union’s Perestroika, and stressed the need for gradual and well-planned changes to avoid confusion.
Looking ahead, Dr. Sheth identified three key tasks for the NMC: addressing numbers in a balanced way, easing unnecessary barriers, and reinforcing quality in learning, teaching, and infrastructure. Institutional support, particularly hostels for undergraduate students, remains a priority. The NMC aims to improve coordination between national and state bodies, maintain balanced regulation and improve coordination between national and State bodies.
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