When the regulators are the ones being regulated

Health · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For nearly 87 years, a single body governed Indian medical education. But as private colleges surged in the 1980s, the system faced a crisis of integrity. Critics argued the very people being regulated were the ones electing their own overseers, leading to a landmark dissolution.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) was established in 1934 to maintain uniform standards for medical education and practitioner registration. However, its regulatory power became a point of contention following a 1993 amendment (Section 10A). This change granted the MCI the authority to endorse or decline the establishment of new medical colleges, a power that critics say exacerbated systemic corruption as the number of private institutions grew. The council was responsible for recognizing foreign medical qualifications and maintaining the Indian Medical Register. However, it neglected to update this national register of practitioners after 1993. The organization also oversaw the accreditation of medical schools and the registration of doctors across the country.

The organization's integrity was severely compromised by high-profile scandals. In 2001, the Delhi High Court ordered the removal of MCI President Ketan Desai for abuse of power and corruption. Despite this, Desai returned to the council and was re-appointed as president in 2009. His tenure ended in 2010 when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him, recovering 1.5 kg of gold, 80 kg of silver, and 35 lakhs worth of gold from his premises. He was specifically booked for accepting a 2-crore bribe to grant recognition to a private college. The CBI also booked a middle-man and two other doctors in the corruption case. During the investigation, authorities seized 80 kg of silver from the president's property. Leadership roles were held by the president as the Gujarat Medical Council's head and B J Medical College's urology chief.

The push for reform began in earnest in 2017, with the Supreme Court authorizing the government to replace the MCI and monitor the system using five specialized doctors. This culminated in the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. On September 25, 2020, the 87-year-old MCI was officially dissolved and replaced by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to address these long-standing regulatory failures. The NITI Aayog think tank first proposed the new commission in 2016. The government issued an ordinance in 2018 to transition the council's duties to a seven-member board of governors. This legislative process involved approval from most states and the Prime Minister before final enactment.

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