India, July 24 -- The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a major overhaul of the approval process for new medical colleges, removing the requirement for an essentiality certificate and no-objection certificate (NOC) from state governments.

Under the draft regulations, institutions seeking to establish a new medical college will only need a valid Consent of Affiliation (CoA) from a recognised university and approval from the NMC. At present, applicants must first obtain an essentiality certificate and an NOC from the state government before approaching the commission.

The proposed amendments to the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment...