NMC Guidelines 2026 for Medical Colleges

Advertising Rules, Faculty Disclosures and Website Compliance

A practical guide for medical college management, deans, principals, compliance officers and institutional website teams in India.

By Finney
Founder, STYL Digital Solutions LLP
Healthcare Digital Strategy & Marketing

Published: 12 October 2026

Why Medical College Websites Need Regular Compliance Reviews

A medical college website does more than introduce the institution to prospective students. It also communicates information about courses, faculty, infrastructure, fees, research and the attached teaching hospital.

Outdated faculty profiles, incorrect course approvals, missing fee details or incomplete clinical workload figures can create problems even when the website looks professional.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) issued its Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by Hospitals/Medical Institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners on 6 October 2026. These guidelines address professional advertising and digital communication.

Medical colleges must also consider the separate regulations and notices governing medical education, faculty information, approved seats, fees and institutional disclosures.

For college management, the priority is to keep public information accurate, current and consistent with the applicable regulatory requirements.

1. Do the October 2026 NMC Advertising Guidelines Apply to Medical Colleges?

The guidelines apply to medical institutions and registered medical practitioners within their scope. Their relevance to a particular college depends on the institution's activities and the nature of the communication.

Medical colleges may publish academic information, admissions announcements, faculty profiles, research updates, public-health education and details about their teaching hospitals. Each type of communication should be assessed according to its purpose and the rules that apply to it.

For example, announcing a postgraduate programme that has received the necessary approval is different from advertising a treatment with a guaranteed outcome. Similarly, a required faculty disclosure serves a different purpose from a campaign promoting an individual doctor's clinical achievements.

Colleges should read the ethical advertising guidelines alongside the applicable undergraduate and postgraduate medical education regulations, official notices and other relevant laws.

References: NMC Guidelines on Ethical Advertising, 6 October 2026, and the applicable medical education regulations and institutional standards.

2. What Information Can a Medical College Publish on Its Website?

A medical college can provide accurate information about its identity, academic programmes, facilities, faculty and teaching hospital. The details should reflect the institution's actual status and current permissions.

Information	What to Check
College name and address	Confirm the official institutional name and location.
University affiliation	Display the correct affiliating university and current details.
Recognised programmes	List courses permitted for the relevant academic year.
Student intake	Use the seat numbers approved by the competent authority.
Academic departments	List departments and facilities that are actually available.
Faculty profiles	Verify qualifications, designations and other required details.
Laboratories and infrastructure	Describe facilities accurately.
Teaching hospital	Provide factual information about departments and services.
Fees	Publish the applicable charges for the relevant academic year.
Research and academic activities	Confirm publications, events and achievements before publication.
Regulatory disclosures	Follow the applicable NMC standards and official directions.

For example, a college may state its approved MBBS intake after verifying the relevant permission. It should not advertise a higher intake while approval is pending or rely on a previous year's permission without checking its current validity.

3. What Website Disclosures Are Required for Postgraduate Medical Colleges?

The NMC's Minimum Standards of Requirements for Postgraduate Courses, 2023, as amended on 20 February 2026, specify website requirements for applicable institutions.

Under the College Website provision described in the amended standards, institutions must maintain their own websites and update the specified information during the first week of every month.

Disclosure	Information to Maintain
Departments	Department lists and available facilities.
Postgraduate courses	Courses and the number of seats permitted by the NMC.
Faculty information	Information for the previous three years, including designations, joining and leaving dates, and contact details, as required.
Admitted students	Details of students admitted during the previous three years, as required.
Outpatient workload	Average daily outpatient attendance for the previous year.
Bed occupancy	Average daily bed occupancy for the previous year.
Surgical workload	Previous-year totals for major and minor surgeries in each surgical department.

The Postgraduate Medical Education Board may also direct institutions to publish additional information.

Monthly website maintenance does not necessarily mean that every historical statistic must be recalculated each month. Colleges should follow the reporting periods and instructions specified in the applicable standards.

Action for management: Compare the existing website with the latest amended standards and assign responsibility for each required disclosure.

Primary reference: PGMSR-2023, amended as of 20 February 2026, College Website provision.

4. Are Undergraduate and Postgraduate Website Requirements the Same?

No. Colleges should not assume that one disclosure checklist covers every undergraduate and postgraduate requirement.

Different standards, regulatory boards and official notices may apply to MBBS, MD/MS and super-specialty programmes. Depending on the applicable rules, disclosures may cover:

• Dean, Principal and Medical Superintendent details.
• Teaching and non-teaching staff.
• Sanctioned undergraduate and postgraduate intake.
• Student admission information.
• Research activities and publications.
• Academic programmes and university affiliation.
• Examination results and recognition status.
• Fees and other applicable charges.
• Clinical workload and attendance information.

Older documents should not automatically be treated as the complete current requirements for every institution.

A practical approach is to maintain separate compliance sections for undergraduate education, postgraduate education and teaching-hospital information, even if all three appear on the same website.

5. How Should Medical Colleges Publish Faculty Details?

Faculty information is an important part of institutional transparency. It should be verified against the college's official records and updated when appointments, resignations, promotions or departmental transfers occur.

In a public notice dated 10 July 2025, the NMC directed medical colleges and institutions to update comprehensive faculty information on their official websites. The notice called for department-wise details in the prescribed format.

The applicable postgraduate standards also require historical faculty information for the preceding three years.

Common Faculty Disclosure Problems

• Showing former faculty members as currently employed.
• Describing visiting or part-time faculty as full-time staff.
• Publishing qualifications or designations that have not been verified.
• Omitting joining or leaving dates where required.
• Leaving outdated department-wise faculty lists online.
• Using faculty profiles to make unsupported claims of clinical superiority.

The college administration or HR department should maintain a verified faculty register and use it as the source for website updates.

Where historical information is required, records should be updated accurately rather than simply deleting details that must remain available for the prescribed reporting period.

Primary reference: NMC public notice dated 10 July 2025, Updating of Faculty Details on the Website of Medical Colleges/Institutions.

6. What About NMR and SMR Registration Numbers?

Medical colleges should distinguish between information required on their public websites and information that must be updated in regulatory systems.

On 5 October 2026, the NMC issued an office memorandum concerning the updating of National Medical Register (NMR) or State Medical Register (SMR) numbers on the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) portal.

The memorandum covers relevant medical faculty, junior residents, senior residents, tutors and demonstrators. It also provides instructions concerning non-medical faculty with certain qualifications.

The notice provided an additional three weeks for the required updates and warned that missing or incorrect registration numbers could result in automatic rejection of daily attendance.

Important: This is an AEBAS portal requirement. It should not be described as a new requirement to publish those registration numbers on the public website unless a separate applicable direction requires it.

Colleges should nevertheless maintain consistent and verified information across faculty records, websites and regulatory systems.

Primary reference: NMC Office Memorandum dated 5 October 2026, N-16015/3/2026-IT-NMC.

7. Can Medical Colleges Advertise Approved Courses and Seat Availability?

Yes. Colleges can communicate accurate information about their approved programmes and seat availability. The information should be checked against the permissions applicable to the relevant academic year.

Public communications should distinguish between:

• Courses that have received the required permission.
• Applications for which approval is pending.
• Proposed academic programmes.
• Approved increases in student intake.
• Pending applications or appeals.

For example, a statement such as "MD General Medicine — [verified number] seats permitted for Academic Year 2026–27" should be published only after the relevant permission and seat count have been confirmed.

A college should not describe a pending application as an approved programme or rely on an outdated seat matrix without checking the current position.

Admissions information should also be reviewed against the applicable counselling requirements and State or university rules.

8. What Must Medical Colleges Disclose About Fees and Stipends?

Fee and stipend information should be accurate, easy to locate and consistent with applicable directions.

On 11 July 2025, the NMC issued a public notice concerning the disclosure of fee structures and the payment of stipends by medical colleges and institutions. The notice referred to Supreme Court directions requiring private and deemed universities to disclose detailed charges before counselling.

Relevant fee information may include:

• Tuition fees.
• Hostel charges.
• Caution deposits.
• Miscellaneous charges.

Institutions should also follow applicable directions regarding the disclosure and payment of stipends to MBBS interns and postgraduate residents.

What Colleges Should Review

• Fee information that is no longer current.
• Mandatory charges that are missing from the published schedule.
• Fee claims that do not identify the applicable academic year.
• Differences between the website, prospectus and counselling materials.
• Stipend information that does not reflect applicable directions.

A dated fee schedule should identify the relevant course, academic year and applicable categories of charges. The admissions and finance departments should verify it before publication.

Fee requirements may also be affected by fee-fixation authorities, court directions and State rules.

Primary reference: NMC public notice dated 11 July 2025, Mandatory Disclosure of Fee Structures and Payment of Stipend by All Medical Colleges/Institutions.

9. Can Non-Compliance Result in Significant Penalties?

Yes. Regulatory action involving stipend-related requirements illustrates the potential consequences of non-compliance.

In March 2026, the NMC reported action against seven medical colleges for non-compliance with directions concerning stipend disclosure and payment. The notice recorded a penalty of ₹1 crore against each college under the cited medical-education regulatory provisions and warned of possible further action for continued non-compliance.

These penalties were connected to stipend-related obligations and the applicable education regulations. They should not be described as automatic penalties for violating the October 2026 ethical advertising guidelines.

The consequences of a breach depend on the governing provision, the facts and the applicable procedure. A faculty disclosure issue, an inaccurate seat claim, a misleading advertisement and a failure to comply with stipend directions may be treated differently under the relevant framework.

Primary reference: NMC notices dated 12–13 March 2026 concerning stipend-related non-compliance and penalties.

10. What Can Medical Colleges Say About Their Teaching Hospitals?

Teaching hospitals may publish factual information about their clinical services, facilities and departments. Their communications must also comply with applicable medical advertising and patient-protection requirements.

Information That Can Be Communicated Factually

• Departments and specialties that are genuinely available.
• Consultation locations and contact details.
• Diagnostic and treatment facilities.
• Equipment available at the institution.
• Genuine and current accreditation details.
• Accurate doctor directories.
• Transparent charges and packages.

Content Requiring Review

• Guaranteed cures or surgical outcomes.
• Unsupported claims such as "No. 1" or "best hospital".
• Promotional patient testimonials.
• Before-and-after treatment advertising.
• Claims that portray an individual faculty member as clinically superior.
• Misleading treatment statistics.
• Inducements that encourage unnecessary healthcare services.
• Fabricated reviews or synthetic patient endorsements.

A teaching hospital does not automatically fall outside medical advertising restrictions because it is associated with an educational institution.

Relevant October 2026 guideline provisions: 6.1–6.4, 8.1, 8.3 and 9.1–9.2.

11. Can Colleges Publish OPD, IPD and Surgery Statistics?

Applicable postgraduate standards require colleges to publish specified clinical workload information. These disclosures help readers understand the institution's clinical and teaching environment.

However, a requirement to disclose clinical workload does not automatically permit those figures to be used as promotional claims of clinical superiority.

Regulatory disclosure: "Total major surgeries performed during the previous reporting year: [verified number]."

Promotional claim requiring review: "We performed 5,000 surgeries, making us the most successful surgical hospital in Tamil Nadu."

The first statement reports a figure in a regulatory context. The second draws a comparative conclusion that the figure alone does not establish.

Clinical volume is not the same as clinical success. Outpatient attendance, bed occupancy and operation counts should not be presented as proof of patient satisfaction, superior outcomes or an individual surgeon's professional standing unless the claim is properly substantiated and permitted.

Colleges should keep required regulatory statistics separate from promotional marketing material.

References: PGMSR-2023, amended in 2026, College Website provision; NMC Ethical Advertising Guidelines, paragraph 8.1.

12. Can Colleges Publish Research, Awards and Academic Achievements?

Research publications, academic conferences, scientific programmes and educational activities are important parts of medical education. Colleges can communicate these activities using accurate and verifiable information, subject to applicable requirements.

For example, a college may announce that faculty members from its Department of Microbiology have published a paper in a named journal, provided the publication details are correct.

This differs from using a research publication to claim that the institution's doctors are the best in the country.

Before publishing information about research, awards, conferences, patents, rankings or partnerships, verify the issuing organisation, dates, methodology, publication status and precise scope of the claim.

Academic achievements should describe genuine scholarly work rather than being treated as automatic proof of superior clinical outcomes.

13. What Are the Rules for Patient Testimonials and Clinical Success Stories?

Teaching hospitals may have valuable clinical experience and educational case material. However, patient information should not be treated as unrestricted marketing content.

The October 2026 guidelines restrict promotional testimonials, patient success stories and before-and-after presentations. They also address patient consent and privacy.

A patient expressing gratitude does not automatically make it permissible for an institution or practitioner to use that statement in an advertisement. Consent alone does not override an applicable prohibition.

An appropriately anonymised clinical case used strictly for scientific or educational purposes may qualify for different treatment under the relevant provisions, subject to the required safeguards.

Colleges should assess the purpose, presentation, consent, identifiability and professional context of each case before publishing it. Calling a promotional story "educational" does not, by itself, make it permissible.

Relevant October 2026 guideline provisions: 3.2, 6.1–6.4 and 8.1(v).

14. Can Medical Colleges Use AI-Generated Content?

AI-generated communications should be assessed under paragraph 7.2 of the October 2026 guidelines where applicable. The provision addresses prohibited AI-generated commercial promotional campaigns and misleading synthetic representations.

Colleges and teaching hospitals should not use AI to fabricate:

• Patient testimonials.
• Clinical outcomes.
• Faculty qualifications.
• Research achievements.
• Institutional endorsements.
• Medical treatment success stories.

Using AI internally to organise research notes or assist with a draft is different from publishing fabricated or prohibited promotional material. Publicly released content still needs human verification for accuracy, purpose and compliance with applicable disclosure requirements.

AI-generated educational visuals and materially altered content should also be reviewed for accuracy, appropriate use and any applicable source-marking or disclosure requirements.

An AI disclosure does not make an otherwise prohibited medical advertisement permissible. Patient information must also be handled in accordance with applicable privacy and confidentiality obligations.

15. What Should Website Developers and SEO Teams Do?

Website compliance requires coordination between college management, academic administration, the teaching hospital, HR, IT and the marketing team.

Website Management

• Maintain an up-to-date institutional disclosure section.
• Organise academic and teaching-hospital information clearly.
• Publish prescribed faculty details in the applicable format.
• Verify course permissions and intake figures.
• Make required fee and stipend information accessible.
• Publish clinical workload disclosures where applicable.
• Complete required monthly updates on time.
• Review old templates, PDFs and downloadable documents for outdated information.
• Keep a dated revision history and approval record.
• Protect sensitive student and patient information from unauthorised disclosure.

SEO and Digital Communication

• Remove unsupported institutional ranking and superiority claims.
• Correct misleading page titles and meta descriptions.
• Verify course names and academic-year references.
• Do not describe pending seat approvals as confirmed.
• Keep contact details and location information accurate.
• Review teaching-hospital content for treatment guarantees and promotional testimonials.
• Check structured data for inaccurate course, rating or accreditation claims.
• Ensure search visibility is not built on misleading representations.

SEO should help people find accurate institutional information. It should not increase the visibility of claims that have not been verified.

16. Medical College Website Compliance Checklist

Compliance Question	Action
Is the institutional name and address accurate?	Verify
Are affiliation and course permissions current?	Verify
Are approved seat numbers correct for the academic year?	Verify
Are faculty details published in the required format?	Update
Are historical faculty records maintained where required?	Check
Are applicable postgraduate disclosures updated during the first week of each month?	Implement
Are admitted-student details disclosed as required?	Verify
Are required clinical workload figures available?	Verify
Are fee and stipend disclosures complete?	Review
Are teaching-hospital claims factual?	Correct
Are patient testimonials being used for promotion?	Assess
Can research and award claims be verified?	Validate
Does AI-generated public content meet applicable requirements?	Review
Are portal requirements such as AEBAS handled separately?	Confirm
Is there a documented website approval and update process?	Establish

This checklist is a starting point for management. It does not replace the full regulations, amendments or institution-specific directions.

17. Accurate Disclosure Is Part of Institutional Credibility

Medical colleges educate future doctors and, through their teaching hospitals, contribute to patient care. Their websites should reflect both responsibilities.

A polished design cannot make up for missing faculty information. An admissions campaign cannot justify an inaccurate seat claim. A teaching-hospital video cannot make a misleading treatment promise acceptable.

Similarly, a clinical workload figure required for regulatory disclosure should not automatically be presented as proof of superior medical outcomes.

A credible institutional website communicates information that is accurate, complete and verifiable.

For medical colleges, keeping disclosures current is not just an administrative task. It is part of maintaining public and institutional trust.

Does Your Medical College Website Need a Review?

Medical colleges manage academic information, faculty records, course permissions, teaching-hospital content and regulatory disclosures across several departments and systems. Keeping this information consistent requires a clear review process.

STYL Digital Solutions LLP provides digital website and communication assessments to identify potential disclosure gaps, outdated institutional information and advertising-related concerns.

Request a preliminary review of your institution's publicly accessible website.

Call or WhatsApp: +91 95000 99066
Contact: Finney
Founder, STYL Digital Solutions LLP

STYL's screening is an independent digital and technical review. It is not an NMC-authorised certification, regulatory inspection or formal legal opinion.

Primary Regulatory References

1. NMC Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication — 6 October 2026.
2. NMC Minimum Standards of Requirements for Postgraduate Courses — amended as of 20 February 2026.
3. NMC Notice on Updating Faculty Details on Medical College Websites — 10 July 2025.
4. NMC Notice on Mandatory Fee Structure and Stipend Disclosure — 11 July 2025.
5. NMC Notice on Stipend-Related Non-Compliance and Penalties — March 2026.
6. NMC Office Memorandum on NMR/SMR Updates in AEBAS — 5 October 2026.

Editorial note: This article summarises selected NMC requirements as understood on 12 October 2026. The applicability of individual disclosures depends on the institution, programmes offered, governing regulations, amendments, permissions and additional directions. It is intended for general professional information and is not institution-specific legal advice. A qualified healthcare regulatory lawyer should review the content before it is presented as authoritative legal guidance.