Cabinet approves bill to replace Medical Council of India

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a landmark bill to set up the National Medical Commission, which will replace the Medical Council of India, the statutory body for establishing standards of medical education in India.

"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.

According to sources, the National Medical Commission Bill envisages a four-tier structure for the regulation of medical education, with a 20-member National Medical Commission at the top.

Sources said the bill will enable a reform in the field of medical education by seeking to end regulatory control over medical education and pushing for outcome-based monitoring. It will also create accountable and transparent procedures for maintaining standards in medical education, sources added.

The bill is also expected to introduce a system of examination on the lines of National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) - a first in any field of higher education in the country.

It also seeks to regulate up to 40 per cent seats in medical colleges to enable all meritorious students to have access to medical seats irrespective of their financial status, sources said.

The bill provides for a medical education system that ensures availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals, encourage medical professionals to adopt the latest medical research in their work and will contribute to research.

The 25-member National Medical Commission will include members from AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh, and JIPMER Puducherry. It will include members from the fields of management, economy, law, consumer rights, health research, science and technology, three members from the Medical Advisory Council and five elected medical persons.

As compared to the MCI, the NMC will primarily be an elected body with nominees from both the centre and the states. It will have a few non-medical members as well.

In the MCI, permission is needed for the establishment, renewal, recognition of medical colleges and increase of intake of students. After the establishment of the NMC, permission will be required only for the establishment and recognition of medical colleges. Unlike the MCI, the NMC will allow an automatic increase of seats.

The MCI asks for separate permission for post graduate (PG) courses after under-graduate recognition. The NMC will allow colleges to start PG courses on their own.