NEW DELHI: Barely two months after the National Medical Commission (NMC) prohibited medical colleges from charging MBBS fees beyond the prescribed 54 months of academic study, a complaint from Kerala has alleged that colleges continued to collect fees for five years, setting up the first major test of the regulator’s willingness to enforce its own order.Acting on a complaint filed by the Combined Association of Medicos & Parents (CAMP), Kerala, the NMC’s Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) has directed the state’s Directorate of Medical Education (DME) to ensure refund of excess fees allegedly collected from MBBS students and submit a compliance report.The complaint alleges that colleges continued to collect fees for 60 months despite the NMC’s April directive limiting fee collection to 54 months of academic study, making Kerala the first major test of the regulator’s enforcement resolve.On April 7, the NMC clarified that MBBS fees can be charged only for the prescribed 4.5 years, or 54 months, of academic study and not for the internship period. The Commission said charging fees beyond the academic duration was inconsistent with statutory provisions and Supreme Court rulings governing educational fees.If the Kerala allegations are substantiated, colleges could face action under the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER), 2023, including penalties of up to Rs 1 crore per violation, withholding of accreditation, reduction of seats, admission curbs and, in serious cases, withdrawal of permission or recognition.The regulations empower the NMC to act against institutions that violate statutory provisions or regulatory standards. While colleges may be given an opportunity to rectify deficiencies, repeated or serious violations can attract stronger action. The Kerala complaint is significant as the first publicly known case to surface after the NMC’s fee clarification and could indicate whether the regulator intends to use its enforcement powers or limit its intervention to directing refunds. However, it remains unclear whether penal provisions will be invoked if the allegations are proven.An RTI reply has raised fresh questions, with the NMC stating that it does not maintain records of MBBS fee-related complaints and merely forwards them to state authorities. The Kerala case could now become a test of whether violations of the 54-month fee cap attract penalties under NMC regulations or end with refunds alone.The NMC said its immediate priority is to ensure that students are not charged fees beyond the prescribed framework and that any excess amount collected is refunded. It added that the matter is being examined through due process and that any regulatory action will depend on the findings, nature of the violation and the institution’s response.