In a sharp rebuke, the Supreme Court penalized the National Medical Commission (NMC) with a fine of Rs. 10 lakhs for filing a baseless legal challenge against the approval of KMCT Medical College’s seat expansion. The Court emphasized that the NMC, as a state organ, is expected to act with fairness and responsibility, but in this case, it failed to uphold those standards.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan criticized the NMC’s attitude, pointing out that its approach lacked the conduct of a “model litigant.” The dispute arose when the NMC contested a Kerala High Court decision that directed it to grant approval for the college’s expansion after the submission of an undertaking.
The case dates back to February 2023, when KMCT Medical College was initially granted approval to increase its seats from 150 to 250 for the 2023-24 academic year. However, by April of the same year, this approval was inexplicably revoked. Later, in June 2024, the NMC once again disapproved the expansion, citing two reasons: the college’s failure to submit a Certificate of Affiliation (COA) and the fact that the issue was still under legal review.
The Supreme Court found the NMC’s disapproval unfounded, particularly regarding the sub judice claim. The Court noted that if the NMC had any legal uncertainties, it could have easily sought clarification from the courts. Furthermore, the COA, the other reason for rejection, had already been granted by August 2024. The NMC’s defense that each academic year requires separate approval failed to convince the bench, especially considering the college had been operational for 18 years.
Criticizing the NMC’s actions as an unnecessary harassment of the institution, the Court deemed the petition an “abuse of the process of law” and dismissed it with a fine. The Rs. 10 lakh penalty was divided equally, with Rs. 5 lakhs directed to the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association and the remaining Rs. 5 lakhs to the Supreme Court Bar Association Advocates Welfare Fund.
