Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance emphasized by NMC for medical college faculties
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has stressed the need to implement an Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system (AEBAS) for faculty members in medical colleges. The aim is to tackle the issue of 'ghost faculty,' which refers to fictitious faculty members who do not exist but are listed on the payroll of medical institutions. The Post Graduate Medical Education Board has decided to enforce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) immediately to assess the examination process. To eliminate such fictitious faculty members, the NMC has consistently emphasized the importance of the Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance system. The NMC has been urging medical colleges to adopt AEBAS and highlighting its importance before inspections.
The Commission has recently introduced the Medical Assessment and Rating Board guidelines that aim to standardize establishing new medical colleges or expanding existing ones. These guidelines also aim to address concerns related to ghost faculty and other issues. These rules are scheduled to be enforced in the upcoming academic year, and their objective is to streamline the operations of medical education institutions, as confirmed by the apex medical education regulatory body.
The guidelines released by the NMC have specified that daily AEBAS records of essential staff, including faculty, residents, and support personnel, preferably with facial recognition, must be made accessible to the NMC. Furthermore, these records are expected to be displayed on the respective medical college websites as a daily attendance dashboard. In tandem with these directives, a notice accompanied by the guidelines highlighted the implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by the Post Graduate Medical Education Board for immediate effect. This SOP aims to evaluate the examination process as part of inspections for the recognition, increased intake, or renewal of recognition for a qualification course.
Medical colleges and institutes are now required to conduct examinations in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the current PGMER. In addition, these institutions must keep video records of the examination process, including examiners, exam procedures, case details, and students' theses, among other pertinent information. The announcement stated that inspection methods would be changing and that physical or online inspections of examination processes would no longer be conducted.
Universities are advised to stick to their examination schedules as planned. After the exams, physical assessments of medical colleges and institutes will be conducted, focusing on their infrastructure, clinical and investigative materials, and other relevant facilities as described in the guidelines. This change in assessment strategies aims to simplify evaluation processes, improve transparency, and guarantee the credibility of medical education across the country.
The Commission has recently introduced the Medical Assessment and Rating Board guidelines that aim to standardize establishing new medical colleges or expanding existing ones. These guidelines also aim to address concerns related to ghost faculty and other issues. These rules are scheduled to be enforced in the upcoming academic year, and their objective is to streamline the operations of medical education institutions, as confirmed by the apex medical education regulatory body.
The guidelines released by the NMC have specified that daily AEBAS records of essential staff, including faculty, residents, and support personnel, preferably with facial recognition, must be made accessible to the NMC. Furthermore, these records are expected to be displayed on the respective medical college websites as a daily attendance dashboard. In tandem with these directives, a notice accompanied by the guidelines highlighted the implementation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by the Post Graduate Medical Education Board for immediate effect. This SOP aims to evaluate the examination process as part of inspections for the recognition, increased intake, or renewal of recognition for a qualification course.
Medical colleges and institutes are now required to conduct examinations in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the current PGMER. In addition, these institutions must keep video records of the examination process, including examiners, exam procedures, case details, and students' theses, among other pertinent information. The announcement stated that inspection methods would be changing and that physical or online inspections of examination processes would no longer be conducted.
Universities are advised to stick to their examination schedules as planned. After the exams, physical assessments of medical colleges and institutes will be conducted, focusing on their infrastructure, clinical and investigative materials, and other relevant facilities as described in the guidelines. This change in assessment strategies aims to simplify evaluation processes, improve transparency, and guarantee the credibility of medical education across the country.
