Key Points

The Union Cabinet has appointed cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Abhijat Sheth as the new NMC Chairperson. He takes over from Dr Suresh Gangadhar who stepped down due to health reasons. Dr Sheth has pledged to focus on improving medical education quality and governance. The NMC continues its role as India's premier medical education regulator.

Key Points: Dr Abhijat Sheth Takes Over as NMC Chairperson from Suresh Gangadhar

  • Dr Sheth succeeds Dr Gangadhar who resigned due to health concerns
  • New chairperson emphasizes quality education and governance reforms
  • Dr Gangadhar's tenure introduced WFME accreditation and AEBAS monitoring
  • NMC remains India's top medical education regulatory body
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Dr Abhijat Sheth appointed as NMC Chairperson, prioritises quality medical education

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Abhijat Sheth appointed NMC Chairperson, prioritizes medical education reforms and governance improvements

"My primary focus is to improve the quality of education, aiming towards good governance and teamwork - Dr Abhijat Sheth"

By Shalini Bhardwaj, New Delhi, July 13

The Union Cabinet has appointed Dr Abhijat Sheth as the new Chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC), replacing Dr Suresh Gangadhar, who stepped down due to health concerns.

Dr Sheth, a cardiothoracic surgeon with experience in India and the UK, emphasized his commitment to improving the quality of medical education, promoting good governance, and fostering teamwork to achieve governmental objectives.

Speaking to ANI, Dr Sheth said, "My primary focus is to improve the quality of education, easing the excess and aiming towards the good governance and teamwork to meet the governmental objectives."

Dr Gangadhar had submitted his resignation due to health issues. '"Dr Gangadhar, former chairperson, NMC, had submitted his resignation last October. As there was no suitable candidate available, his tenure was continued," Official Sources said

Dr Sheth is also the President of the National Board of Examinations in Sciences (NBEMS). He will soon be joining as the chairperson of NMC, following a mutual discussion with Dr Gangadhar, the sources said.

Dr Gangadhar's tenure saw significant reforms, including grading of medical colleges, WFME accreditation, and streamlined processes, bringing more transparency and consistency in functioning of NMC, revised and more practical CBME, tweaking the qualifications criteria for faculty to make it more user friendly, focusing on faculty development for better outcomes, getting all medical colleges to embrace patient safety at undergraduate level.

He institutionalised the use of Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) for real-time monitoring of faculty attendance, and he also advanced a shift towards competency-based undergraduate education.

The National Medical Commision (NMC) is India's premier regulatory body overseeing medical education and practice. Committed to upholding the highest standards in healthcare education, N M C ensures the delivery of quality medical education and training across the nation.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Dr Gangadhar did commendable work, but we need more transparency in NMC functioning. Too many private medical colleges charging capitation fees under the table. Hope Dr Sheth cracks down on this!
A
Arjun K
As a final year MBBS student, I just hope the new chairperson doesn't make more last-minute changes to the curriculum. We're already struggling with frequent pattern changes in NEXT exam.
S
Sarah B
The UK experience will be valuable, but hope Dr Sheth understands the ground realities of Indian medical colleges. Our infrastructure challenges are very different from Western countries.
V
Vikram M
Good appointment! But I'm concerned about the sudden resignation of Dr Gangadhar. Hope there's no political pressure behind this change. Medical education should remain independent of politics.
K
Kavya N
Please focus on rural healthcare! We need more doctors willing to serve in villages. Maybe make rural postings mandatory for all medical graduates? 🏥

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