Staff Reporter
Guwahati: There is some good news for medical education aspirants in the state, as the National Medical Commission (NMC) has granted permission to the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati's Beltola area for an intake capacity of 50 MBBS seats for the academic year 2025-26.
The approval, issued by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) under the NMC on October 16, 2025, follows the decision of the 2nd Appeal Committee of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The official communication on the approval, post the Appeal Committee's decision on the matter, was conveyed through the Letter of Permission (LOP) to the Dean of the ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Beltola.
The permission comes after an earlier disapproval issued by MARB on September 21, 2025, which was later overturned by the MoHFW Appeal Committee, granting the approval.
Talking to The Sentinel, Dean of the ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Prof. Dr Sanjay Keshkar, said, "The National Medical Commission inspected the campus a few months back. Finally, we received the Letter of Permission. The admission process for the first batch of MBBS students, comprising 50 seats, will start from the first week of November. Classes for the academic session 2025-26 are scheduled to start later in the month of November."
Regarding the admission process for 50 seats, the Dean stated that the reservation of seats will be as follows: 50% of 50 seats, i.e., 25 seats, will be reserved for children of Insured Persons (IP) enrolled in ESIC; the remaining 25 seats will be divided into All-India quota and State quota, with 8 seats at the All-India level and 17 seats for the state.
It is to be noted that, out of the remaining 25 IP seats, 50% (12) will be from State IPs & 50% (13) will be open for All India IP.
According to the NMC order, the new institution must maintain all prescribed norms regarding infrastructure, faculty strength, hospital facilities, and clinical material throughout the academic year. The commission has also warned that any misrepresentation of facts or non-compliance could lead to cancellation of the LOP and other legal actions.
The medical college has been directed to develop an official website displaying detailed information on its faculty, courses, hospital services, equipment, and patient statistics. It must also install and maintain AEBAS (Attendance System), CCTV surveillance, and Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS) as per NMC requirements; it is also stated in the LOP.
Further, it is mentioned that the MARB has reserved the right to conduct surprise inspections, impose penalties, or even withdraw recognition if deficiencies are found during future assessments.
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