NGT refuses to entertain plea to amend MBBS regulations

The National Green Tribunal has refused to entertain a plea seeking amendment to the MBBS regulations so as to mandate setting up of an oxygen plant in every Multi Specialty hospital.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the issue relates to a policy matter and is not maintainable.

“We are unable to hold the issue raised to be a substantial question of environment, requiring determination by the Tribunal. The issue relates to policy matter to be considered by the concerned Authority. Thus, leaving the question open, to be raised at an appropriate forum, the application is disposed of,” the bench said.


The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by city resident H C Arora seeking for a direction to amend the “Minimum Requirements for Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations (2020)” issued by the National Medical Commission.

The plea said that the amendment should provide prerequisite of setting up of an Oxygen Plant in every Multi Specialty Hospital in India within a time bound manner, as a pre-condition for approval thereof, in view of National Emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic, where a large number of patients are dying every day, due to non-availability of the oxygen. The National Medical Commission (NMC) had notified the regulations which replaced the “Minimum Standard Requirements for Medical Colleges, 1999" of the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI).

The new regulations are applicable to all new medical colleges proposing to be established, and to the established medical colleges proposing to increase their annual MBBS intake from the academic year 2021-22.