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The National Medical Commission’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) has initiated steps to minimize human involvement in the assessment of medical colleges. In a bid to achieve this, they’ve introduced a ‘Robust Randomization Software’ that will autonomously select individuals tasked with evaluating these institutions.
Outlined within the newly issued guidelines for the assessment and rating of medical colleges, this measure is set to be implemented in the forthcoming academic year, starting in 2024-2025. The MARB, responsible for conducting routine assessments and accrediting medical institutes that meet the Commission’s standards, emphasized surprise inspections as part of their quality assurance process.
The released guidelines comprehensively cover various facets of the assessment process, including the Application Fee, Accreditation Procedures, Sanctions and Penalties, Assessment and Rating criteria, as well as Redressal and Appeal protocols. Notably, the use of the ‘Robust Randomization Software’ was discussed extensively, particularly in relation to the selection of assessment dates and assessors.
MARB elaborated on the code of conduct for assessors and the criteria for their selection, stressing the software’s role in minimizing human intervention. Despite inspections being unannounced, the list of colleges to be assessed will be publicized on the NMC website.
In a bid to streamline evaluations, the guidelines stipulate that both undergraduate and postgraduate assessments for a college will occur simultaneously. Teams comprising 5 assessors (or a minimum of 3 if 5 are unavailable) will evaluate undergraduate courses over a single day. For postgraduate courses, a team of 2 assessors per specialty (or one if two are unavailable) will conduct assessments within the same timeframe.
The assessment teams will scrutinize infrastructure, faculty quality, AEBAS data, clinical indicators, and the financial status of colleges to ensure adherence to NMC standards. Interviews with staff and students may also be conducted during this process.
Exceptionally, government-established medical colleges with a 5-year MBBS recognition, registered for additional PG seats, are exempt from physical inspections. However, private medical colleges applying for additional PG seats or fresh PG courses, alongside government and private institutions, will undergo physical inspections as standard procedure.
Following assessments, assessors are mandated to document findings on the NMC portal as per the latest guidelines available on the Commission’s website. Moreover, it’s required that the inspection team uploads a signed and endorsed report by the college management before departing from the institution.
While discouraging inspections lasting more than a day, the NMC allows such cases only under extreme circumstances, documented and immediately communicated to MARB. Any extension requires written approval.
In cases where deficiencies are identified, the guidelines necessitate the college to rectify these and report compliance within a specified time. Subsequent surprise compliance verification inspections will be conducted for new medical establishments or increased admissions in undergraduate courses.
Additionally, the new guidelines provide formats for Essentiality Certificates, Affiliation Consent, and other relevant forms for both undergraduate and postgraduate assessments, alongside self-declaration forms for assessors.
