Islamabad: Medical and dental colleges that breach admission rules or miss reporting deadlines will face heavy fines and possible seat cuts under new regulations notified by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), officials said on Monday.
A college admitting students beyond its allocated seats will have to pay 100 percent of the actual annual fee charged from each excess student for every year of the MBBS or BDS programme. Its seats for the next session will also be reduced by twice the number of excess admissions.
Irregular admissions will carry the same fee-based penalty, along with a reduction in seats. A college that delays publishing or reporting its merit and admission list will be fined Rs500,000, plus Rs50,000 for each additional day of delay.
The regulations set a fine of Rs50,000 per student for delayed registration, Rs75,000 per student for delayed reporting of graduation and Rs30,000 per student for delayed reporting of annual examination results. Failure to report a student’s transfer or departure on time will carry a fine of Rs100,000 per student, while a breach of permitted student fees and charges will attract a fine of Rs200,000 per violation.
Late registration will also incur a monthly fee of Rs150 per student at public-sector institutions and Rs300 at private colleges. Non-payment of fees will attract the penalty prescribed in the regulations or, where no penalty is prescribed, a fine equivalent to 50 percent of the amount payable.
Penalties will be imposed only after the institution has been given notice and an opportunity to be heard. Repeated violations established after due process may be considered by the council when deciding whether to stop further admissions or initiate proceedings under Section 33 of the PMDC Act.
A penalty under the regulations will not, by itself, amount to suspension or withdrawal of a college’s recognition.
Universities, colleges and students must submit certificates, results, verifications, applications and other communications to the council through the PMDC online portal and in the prescribed format. Submissions made through any other channel will not be entertained, and failure to comply may also result in a penalty.
The regulations make a house job of at least one year mandatory for the grant of a full licence. It must be full-time structured training specified by the National Medical and Dental Academic Board and approved by the council, and must be conducted by faculty with qualifications prescribed by the board.
On completion of the house job, the teaching hospital must issue a certificate confirming the modules and rotations completed by the house officer and the grades obtained. The hospital must submit the certificate to the council within 10 days.
Violations involving foreign nationals, including admission without clearance from the Oversight Committee, failure to report a visa or immigration lapse or a student’s or trainee’s departure, and admission outside notified timelines, will be dealt with as determined by the council from time to time. This will be without prejudice to any action under Section 33 of the Act.
The regulations apply to all PMDC-recognised undergraduate medical and dental programmes, registered colleges and accredited teaching hospitals, as well as house jobs. To the extent specified, they also apply to foreign nationals admitted to postgraduate medical and dental training in Pakistan.
According to the notification issued on October 12, the council approved the regulations on October 7. They will apply to admissions for the 2026-27 academic session and thereafter, and repeal the 2025 regulations. Admissions, proceedings, penalties or other actions already taken or initiated under the previous regulations will continue to be governed by them.
The notification, signed by the PMDC registrar, was sent to provincial health department secretaries, recognised universities and medical and dental colleges, as well as federal bodies including the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and the Higher Education Commission.