UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Dubious retreat

Q1. With reference to the institutional design under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Autonomous Boards are constituted by the National Medical Commission itself, and their members are elected by registered medical practitioners.
  2. The Autonomous Boards function under the overall supervision of the National Medical Commission.
  3. The Act repealed the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, under which the Medical Council of India had functioned.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q2. With reference to the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. No new medical college can be established, and no existing college can start a postgraduate course or increase its seats, without the MARB's permission.
  2. The MARB can levy monetary penalties on medical institutions that fail to maintain minimum standards.
  3. The MARB assesses medical institutions against standards laid down by the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Medical Education Boards, rather than setting the curriculum itself.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q3. Consider the following pairs of functions and the Autonomous Board of the National Medical Commission responsible for them: Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. Maintaining the National Register of licensed medical practitioners — Ethics and Medical Registration Board
  2. Granting permission to increase seats in a medical college — Under-Graduate Medical Education Board
  3. Formulating standards and curriculum for postgraduate medical courses — Post-Graduate Medical Education Board
  4. Taking disciplinary action against a practitioner for professional misconduct — Medical Assessment and Rating Board
  • A. 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q4. The National Medical Commission recently denotified a set of regulations it had made in 2023. In the light of the principles of delegated legislation, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Commission can withdraw a regulation it has made without a fresh Act of Parliament.
  2. A regulation made by the Commission can override a provision of its parent Act if the Commission finds this necessary for maintaining standards.
  3. Regulations made by statutory bodies fall within the scrutiny of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation in each House of Parliament.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q5. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The National Medical Commission withdrew the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 by denotification, without a Bill being passed by Parliament.
  2. These regulations were subordinate legislation framed by the Commission under powers delegated to it by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and were not provisions of the Act itself.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q6. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, maintaining the register of licensed practitioners and regulating their professional conduct is entrusted to a Board separate from the Boards that set standards for medical education.
  2. Under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, only those whose names are included in the National Register are allowed to practise medicine.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q7. Consider the following assertion: 'The National Medical Commission Act, 2019 sought to reduce the conflict of interest that marked India's earlier medical regulator.' Which of the statements given below support/supports the above assertion?

  1. The National Medical Commission includes some part-time members elected by registered medical practitioners.
  2. Under the Medical Council of India, the President and members were elected by the medical practitioners themselves.
  3. An expert group recommended that independent regulators selected through a transparent process replace elected regulators.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q8. Suppose a regulator of professional colleges stops penalising the individuals who falsify compliance records and relies only on penalties against the institution, such as fines, cuts in intake and withdrawal of recognition. Consider the following likely consequences: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Faculty members who lend their names to a college as 'ghost faculty' face no personal cost for the falsification.
  2. Students of the college may bear part of the cost of the penalty if its intake is reduced or its recognition withdrawn.
  3. Deterrence against falsification is necessarily strengthened, since penalties on institutions are larger than those on individuals.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3