The National Medical Commission (NMC) has cautioned students and parents against taking admission in medical colleges without checking their regulatory approval. The commission has advised candidates to verify the authenticity and regulatory approval of medical institutions before taking admission or paying any admission fees.The advisory dated November 7 comes after directions issued by the Supreme Court in an ongoing case, Ayesha Jain vs Amity University, Noida and Others. The court directed regulatory bodies, including the NMC, to caution students and parents against dealing with educational institutions without checking their authenticity.The Apex Court’s orders followed a reported incident involving a purported fake medical college operating from a farmhouse and claiming to offer various courses.NMC has advised students taking admission to MBBS courses to verify whether the college is included in the commission’s official list of medical colleges and has received the required permission for the relevant academic year.Also Read | NMC proposes rank instead of percentile system for admission to PG, SS coursesThe commission clarified that a college’s presence on an official list or its permission to operate in a previous academic year does not mean it is authorised to admit students in subsequent years.Students are required to independently verify the college’s approval status, course details and the number of sanctioned seats through official NMC and Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) records, the commission added.Story continues below this adThe advisory also warns students against relying only on college websites, advertisements, brochures, social media posts or approval letters shared by institutions and their representatives.In case of any queries regarding the authenticity of such documents, NMC has advised students to directly contact the concerned regulatory authority through its official communication platforms.For MBBS admissions conducted through counselling, candidates have been recommended to use official channels such as the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) or the respective state or Union Territory counselling authority.Also Read | NMC issues advisory on digital signatures for medical records, sets rules for doctorsStory continues below this adIt also clarified that courses such as pharmacy, nursing, Ayurveda and allied healthcare programmes are regulated by different statutory authorities. Students must verify the approval status of these courses with the respective regulatory bodies, the commission advised.The commission has also warned students against making admission-related payments to unauthorised agents, personal bank accounts or unverified intermediaries.The NMC has urged students and parents to report suspected fake medical colleges, unauthorised MBBS courses, forged permission letters, fraudulent admission offers and misleading claims to the commission and other competent authorities.The commission has requested citizens to remain vigilant and not get misled by false claims, unauthorized institutions or forged regulatory documents. It also added that timely verification and reporting of fraudulent activities are important to protect students from financial losses, prevent the misuse of regulatory authorities’ names and maintain the quality and integrity of medical education.