Bill to replace Medical Council of India approved by Union Cabinet

NMC will take over all roles and responsibilities of the MCI.

New Delhi: A bill to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a national medical commission was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Friday.

"The MCI will be replaced, and a National Medical Commission bill has been brought. This is to correct the whole medical ecosystem," Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The MCI is a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India. NMC will become the main regulatory body and will take over all roles and responsibilities of the MCI.

A high-level committee headed by Niti Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya proposed the scrapping of MCI. Besides Panagariya, the panel, looking into the issue of poor regulation of medical education by MCI, includes Prime Ministers Additional Principal Secretary PK Mishra, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Health Secretary Bhahanu Pratap Sharma, reports said.

The new body will reportedly have eminent doctors and experts from related fields to suggest the direction that should be given to medical education in the country so as to ensure that the quality of education is at par with global standards.

As per reports, the bill envisages to:

- replace the Medical Council 1956 Act.

- enable a forward movement in the area of medical education reform.

- move towards outcome-based regulation of medical education rather than process oriented regulation.

- ensure proper separation of functions within the regulator by having autonomous boards.

- create accountable and transparent procedures for maintaining standards in Medical Education.

- create a forward-looking approach towards ensuring sufficient health workforce in India.

- End of heavy-handed regulatory control over medical education institutions and a shift towards outcome-based monitoring.

Structure of the body will be as follows:

- 25-member commission (NMC) will include chairman, member secretary.

- 12 ex-officio members - four presidents of boards, DGHS, DG (ICMR), Dir (AIIMS, New Delhi), Nominee of Ministry, nominees of PGI Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, TMCH Mumbai and NEIGRIHMS Shillong.

- 11 part-time members - 3 members from management, economy, law, consumer rights, health research, science and technology, 3 members from the Medical Advisory Council and 5 elected medical persons.  

- At least 16 and up to 22 of the 25 members of NMC would be medical professionals.

- All selected members would be finalised by a search committee chaired by Cabinet Secretary.

(With Agency inputs)