NMC Withdraws MSMER 2023: What Changes for MBBS Colleges

NMC withdraws MSMER 2023 with immediate effect. The National Medical Commission de-notified the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 by a notification dated 14 October 2026. Colleges must still file their Annual Disclosure Report under the NMC Act, 2019. Past approvals stand, pending cases continue under the old rules, and MBBS teaching does not change.

Key takeaways: NMC withdraws MSMER 2023

• MSMER 2023 is de-notified: the notification, F. No. Legal/NMC/Misc/2026/22, appeared in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, No. 624, issue dated 16 October 2026, and took effect on publication.

• The Annual Disclosure Report stays: every medical college must still file it under Sections 24(1)(i) and 25(1)(h) of the NMC Act, 2019 and the regulations in force.

• Nothing done earlier is undone: approvals, renewals, orders and penalties issued under MSMER 2023 before de-notification remain valid under the saving clause.

• Pending files finish under the old rules: any application, appeal or inquiry open on the date of de-notification is decided under MSMER 2023.

• New matters follow the NMC Act: anything arising on or after de-notification falls under the NMC Act, 2019 and the regulations now in force.

• Students and NEET 2027 aspirants are not directly affected: the notification does not touch NEET UG, counselling or the MBBS curriculum. New college applications for 2027-28 close on 31 December 2026.

What exactly does the notice in which NMC withdraws MSMER 2023 say?

The notification is short, four paragraphs in English and Hindi. It is signed by Dr. Raghav Langer, Secretary, NMC. It uses powers under Sections 10, 24, 25 and 57 of the NMC Act, 2019, read with Section 21 of the General Clauses Act, 1897. Section 21 lets the body that made a rule also withdraw it.

Here is what each paragraph does, in plain words.

1. Paragraph 1, the withdrawal: NMC "de-notifies" MSMER 2023 with immediate effect. It names the original notification, F. No. N-P016/1/2023-PGMEB-NMC dated 19 September 2023, published in Gazette No. 652 on 21 September 2023.

2. Paragraph 2, what continues: the Annual Disclosure Report (ADR) stays. It runs under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the NMC Act, 2019 and the regulations in force.

3. Paragraph 3, the saving clause: four kinds of past action are protected, listed in the next section.

4. Paragraph 4, the start date: the notification comes into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

The Gazette issue carrying it is No. 624, dated Friday 16 October 2026, with the Gazette ID CG-DL-E-17102026-277270. The digital upload of that issue is stamped 17 October 2026.

What did MSMER 2023 cover before it was withdrawn?

MSMER 2023 was a short regulation of four chapters and ten clauses. It applied to every medical college under NMC, at both MBBS and postgraduate level. Its core job was to make each college disclose its standards every year, then let NMC's boards check that disclosure and act on it. You can read the full MSMER 2023 text on the NMC regulations page.

NMC's UGMEB also published FAQs on MSMER 2023 on 5 January 2024. They explained that a college should have its information ready once each batch is admitted. The ADR window on the NMC site is still labelled UG MSMER (2025-26) under the Annual Declaration Form menu.

What stays after the MSMER 2023 de-notification?

Three things stay in place: the Annual Disclosure Report, everything already decided, and everything already pending. This is the part of the notification that matters most to a college, and to any family whose college went through an MSMER check.

The Annual Disclosure Report under the NMC Act, 2019

The ADR does not depend on MSMER 2023. Section 24(1)(i) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 tells the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board to set norms for "compulsory annual disclosures" by medical institutions. Section 25(1)(h) gives the same job to the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board. Both say the disclosures must serve students, faculty, NMC and the Central Government.

A second rule in force already covers the ADR. Regulation 26 of the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023 (EMIAR 2023, notified 2 June 2023) also requires it. The Compulsory Annual Disclosure Report goes to UGMEB or PGMEB, with a copy to the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB). It is due within 30 days of the last student's admission for the year. Regulation 27 treats a missed ADR as non-compliance.

The saving clause, word by word

Paragraph 3 of the notification protects four things done under MSMER 2023 before de-notification.

1. Actions taken: any action duly taken, or purported to have been taken, under MSMER 2023 stays.

2. Decisions issued: any approval, renewal, order, decision or direction already granted stays valid.

3. Rights and liabilities: any right, privilege, obligation or liability already acquired or incurred stays. A penalty already imposed is a liability, so it stands.

4. Pending matters: any application, proceeding, appeal or inquiry pending on the day of de-notification continues and is decided under MSMER 2023.

A proviso then draws the line. Any matter arising on or after de-notification is governed by the NMC Act, 2019 and the statutory and regulatory provisions in force at that time.

MSMER 2023 old rule vs now: what changes for MBBS colleges?

For new matters, the MSMER rulebook is gone and the NMC Act, 2019 plus the regulations in force take over. The table below sets the two side by side, using only the text of the documents.

The most useful point for a parent is in rows five and seven. The tools that protect students, such as fines, seat reductions and stopping admissions, still exist under EMIAR 2023. What disappears is MSMER's separate procedure and its individual penalty clause for new cases.

Timeline of MSMER 2023, from notification to withdrawal

Which rules govern MBBS colleges in India now?

The NMC Act, 2019 sits on top, and a set of regulations sits under it. All of them are listed on the NMC Rules and Regulations page.

For a fuller walk through every NMC change this year, see our guide to the new NMC rules for MBBS in 2026. If you are unsure whether the 2019 or 2023 rules apply to your batch, read which NMC rules apply to you. Our MBBS in India hub covers colleges, seats and fees in one place.

Who is affected now that NMC withdraws MSMER 2023, and who is not?

The notification speaks to medical colleges and NMC's boards. It does not mention students, NEET UG or counselling.

What should you do now that NMC withdraws MSMER 2023?

Current MBBS students

1. Keep to your course rules: attendance, internal assessment and university exams are unchanged. Our guide to the minimum attendance for MBBS explains how much attendance you need to sit university exams.

2. Check your college's listing: confirm your college and seat count on the NMC College and Course Search.

3. Follow other October notices: NMC's separate notice of 15 October 2026 on an extra attempt is covered in our post on the NMC mercy attempt for MBBS students.

NEET UG 2027 aspirants

1. Keep your preparation on track: this change does not touch the exam. Track the expected NEET 2027 exam date and confirm the NEET 2027 eligibility criteria.

2. Watch the 2027-28 seat list: new colleges and extra seats approved from the current application round will show up for 2027-28 counselling.

3. Read the NEET hub: our NEET page covers dates, cutoffs and counselling steps.

Parents

1. Use the official list: before paying fees, find the college on the NMC College and Course Search and note its approved intake.

2. Ask the college in writing: ask whether it has filed its Annual Disclosure Report for the current year. The duty still applies under the NMC Act.

3. Know what the course covers: the MBBS syllabus in India explains the phases your child will study under GMER 2023.

Medical colleges

1. Keep filing the ADR: file with UGMEB or PGMEB and copy MARB, within 30 days of the last admission (EMIAR 2023 Regulation 26).

2. Finish pending MSMER matters: any open MSMER application, appeal or inquiry continues under MSMER 2023 timelines.

3. Meet the 2027-28 deadline: submit Part A, Part B and the fee by 11:59 PM on 31 December 2026, with payment reconciliation by 5 January 2027.

FAQs: NMC withdraws MSMER 2023

When did NMC withdraw MSMER 2023?

NMC signed the de-notification on 14 October 2026 and it took effect on publication in the Gazette of India. The Gazette issue is No. 624, dated 16 October 2026, Gazette ID CG-DL-E-17102026-277270. MSMER 2023 had been in force since 19 September 2023, so it ran for about three years.

Do medical colleges still need to file an Annual Disclosure Report?

Yes. Paragraph 2 of the 14 October 2026 notification keeps the Annual Disclosure Report under Sections 24(i) and 25(h) of the NMC Act, 2019. EMIAR 2023 Regulation 26 also requires it within 30 days of the last student's admission, with a copy to MARB. Missing it counts as non-compliance.

Is my college's MBBS approval still valid after MSMER 2023 was withdrawn?

Yes, if it was granted before de-notification. Paragraph 3(b) of the notification saves every approval, renewal, order, decision or direction duly issued under MSMER 2023. A renewal your college received for 2025-26 or 2026-27 stays valid. Future approvals follow the NMC Act, 2019 and the regulations in force.

Can NMC still fine a medical college after this change?

Yes. MSMER 2023 allowed fines up to Rs 1 crore per violation, but that power also exists in EMIAR 2023 Regulation 31, which remains in force. EMIAR 2023 also allows seat cuts, stopping admissions and withholding a college's rating for up to five academic years. Penalties already imposed under MSMER stand.

Does the MSMER 2023 withdrawal affect NEET UG 2027 or MCC counselling?

No. The four-paragraph notification of 14 October 2026 mentions only MSMER 2023, the Annual Disclosure Report and the saving clause. It says nothing about NEET UG, MCC or state counselling, or the MBBS curriculum. Seats for 2027-28 depend on applications closing on 31 December 2026 under the NMC Act and EMIAR 2023.

What happens to an MSMER inquiry or appeal that was already pending?

It continues under MSMER 2023. Paragraph 3(d) of the notification says any application, proceeding, appeal or inquiry pending immediately before de-notification is decided under the old regulations, so far as they apply. Only matters arising on or after the de-notification date move to the NMC Act, 2019 and current regulations.

Why did NMC withdraw MSMER 2023?

The notification of 14 October 2026 gives no reason. It only states the legal powers used, Sections 10, 24, 25 and 57 of the NMC Act, 2019 with Section 21 of the General Clauses Act, 1897. What matters in practice is in the text: the ADR continues, past decisions stand, and new matters follow the Act.

Does this change the MBBS curriculum or attendance rules?

No. The MBBS course runs under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, notified on 2 June 2023, which this notification does not touch. Attendance rules, internal assessment, university exams and the internship all stay the same. MSMER 2023 dealt with college disclosure and penalties, not with what or how students study.

If you are preparing for NEET UG 2027 and want your study plan, mock tests and revision in one place, NEETsheet brings them together.

Sources

• Gazette of India No. 624, NMC notification of 14 October 2026 de-notifying MSMER 2023

• Gazette of India No. 652, Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023

• NMC, Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 dated 19 September 2023

• NMC UGMEB, FAQs on MSMER 2023 dated 5 January 2024

• National Medical Commission Act, 2019

• NMC, Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023

• NMC, Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023

• NMC, Minimum Standard Requirements for Under Graduate Courses, 2023

• NMC, Amendment Notification in UGMSR 2023 dated 23 April 2026

• NMC MARB, public notice of 8 October 2026 on new MBBS colleges and seat increases for 2027-28

• NMC, Rules and Regulations page

• NMC, Annual Declaration Form, UG MSMER (2025-26)

• NMC, College and Course Search