In a case of sheer irony, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has been asked to direct state govts to fill up huge numbers of vacant posts in the medical teaching service in a time bound manner, when three quarters of posts in NMC’s four autonomous boards are lying vacant.The undergraduate medical education board, the post graduate medical education board and the ethics and medical registration boards have just one part-time member each. They ought to have five members each including the president of each board. The medical assessment and rating board alone has a president and one part-time member, while the remaining three posts are vacant.When contacted, NMC chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth while confirming that the process of filling the vacancies in the boards was currently under consideration by the government, told TOI that the NMC was fully functional, with 28 out of 33 members currently in position. “All statutory requirements, including quorum, are being duly met, and the functioning of the commission and its boards remains unaffected,” he said.“Policy-level decisions continue to be taken at the Commission level. For matters pertaining to Autonomous Boards, the Chairperson is empowered under the Act to constitute expert committees, and all functions are being carried out through these duly constituted mechanisms,” said Dr Sheth.Even as NMC boards are riddled with vacancies, the commission has been asked by the Patna high court to direct states to fill up teaching vacancies within six months. The court asked NMC “to take appropriate action in directing the State Government(s) to initiate an appointment/recruitment drive to fill up a huge number of vacant posts in the medical teaching service within a time-bound period.” The court was hearing a petition challenging the Aadhar-enabled biometric attendance system in medical colleges.In keeping with the order, NMC has directed all states and union territories to take the necessary steps.