Lok Sabha Approves Bill to Replace Medical Council of India

On December 31, 2018, the Lok Sabha passed the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill that would allow a committee of eminent professionals to run the Medical Council of India (MCI). As per the Bill, it has been decided to supersede the MCI and hand over its affairs to a Board of Governors including distinguished doctors for one year or until the Council is reconstituted. According to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare, the recommendation for the government is to bring a new comprehensive Bill to reform the MCI.

On Friday, December 14, 2018, the government introduced a bill in Lok Sabha that looks at superseding the Medical Council of India (MCI) and transfer its responsibilities to a Board of Governors. This move is seen as a part of the effort to have an alternative regulatory mechanism to bring in more quality and transparency for medical education.

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JP Nadda, the Union Health Minister, introduced the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 after the government had passed an ordinance in September 2018 but at that time Parliament was not in session. The National Medical Commission Bill 2017, looking at replacing the Medical Council of India. The President had signed the ordinance in September for the same.

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Meanwhile, Prakash Javadekar, the Union Human Resource Development Minister introduced the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2018. According to the bill, a tribal university will be established, which will be a body corporate known as the Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh. It will have its territorial jurisdiction extending to the entire state of Andhra Pradesh, and it will offer research facilities and higher education mainly for the tribal population of India.