Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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In a move to enhance governance and quality of medical education, an ordinance was issued on Wednesday, dissolving the Medical Council of India (MCI) and replacing it with a seven-member Board of Governors led by NITI Aayog Member Dr. V.K. Paul. A Bill to replace the MCI with a National Medical Commission is pending in Parliament. The Board of Governors include NITI Aayog Member V. K. Paul; All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Delhi (AIIMS) Director Dr. Randeep Guleria; Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research-Chandigarh (PGIMER) Director Dr. Jagat Ram; National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences-Bengaluru (NIMHANS) Director Dr. B. N. Gangadhar; and Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism Dr. Nikhil Tandon at AIIMS here. Director General Health Services Dr. S. Venkatesh and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Professor Balram Bhargava will be the ex-officio members. Board of Governors The Ordinance supersedes the MCI and the powers of the Council have been vested in a Board of Governors (BoG). The BoG will continue to perform till a council is constituted. Previously, based on the March 2016 ‘92nd Report’ of the Department related to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Health and Family Welfare, and recommendations of a group of experts under late Professor Ranjit Roy Chaudhary, the government introduced the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017, in the Lok Sabha, on December 29, 2017. The Bill provides for simplification of procedures and was aimed at spurring rapid growth in the number of Under and Post Graduate medical seats in the country. The NMC Bill provides for distribution of functions among four autonomous Boards, whose members would be persons of proven ability selected through a transparent process, according to the Union Health Ministry. The Bill was taken up for consideration in January this year and was referred to the Department-related PSC on Health and Family Welfare for examination. The PSC presented its 109th Report on the Bill to the House in March, and the Ministry, after examining the recommendations, obtained approval of the Cabinet for moving official amendments.
