About:

• National Medical Commission (NMC) is an Indian regulatory body which regulates medical education and medical professionals.
• The Commission grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, and monitors medical practice and assesses the medical infrastructure in India.
• The NMC will have four separate autonomous boards: 

1. under-graduate medical education, 
2. post-graduate medical education, 
3. medical assessment and rating and 
4. ethics and medical registration.

• It replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI) .
• The NMC comprises a chairman, 10 ex-officio members and 22 part-time members.
• The ex-officio members include presidents of the four autonomous boards.

Functions of the Board:

• The commission will be responsible for approving and assessing medical colleges.
• NMC aims to improve access to quality and affordable medical education, and ensure availability of adequate and high quality professionals across the country.
• NMC will be an overarching body that will frame policies and co-ordinate the activities of the four autonomous boards.
• It also provides for a common entrance examination for MBBS, the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), along with common counselling for all medical institutions in the country. 
• This provision will prevent seat blocking in parallel counselling processes and will eliminate the need for students to approach multiple colleges and take part in multiple counselling processes for admission.
• The final year MBBS examination will be a nationwide exit test called NEXT, which will grant a licence to practice medicine, an MBBS degree, and entrance to postgraduate courses.
• NEET and NEXT will also be applicable to institutes of national importance such as all the AIIMS, to ensure a common standard in the medical education sector in India.

Why in News?

The National Medical Commission (NMC) replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI) as the apex regulator for medical education in India, according to a gazette notification issued by the government.

References:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/its-national-medical-commission-now/article32696627.ece
2. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/sep/25/national-medical-commission-indias-regulator-of-medical-education-comes-into-existence-2201716.html