National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019

News: Rajya Sabha has passed the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019

Facts:

About National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019

• It seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970
• Objectives:
  • To ensure availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine, 
  • To ensure adoption of the latest medical research by medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine, 
  • To ensure periodic assessment of medical institutions, 
  • To ensure an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

Key features:

• It provides for the establishment of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM). The NCISM will have the following functions:
  • framing policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine, 
  • assessing the requirements of healthcare related human resources and infrastructure, 
  • ensuring compliance by the State Medical Councils of Indian System of Medicine of the regulations made under the Bill, 
  • ensuring coordination among the autonomous boards set up under the Bill.
• It sets up certain autonomous boards under the supervision of the NCISM.These boards are:
  • Board of Ayurveda and the Board of Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa
  • Medical Assessment and Rating Board for Indian System of Medicine
  • Ethics and Medical Registration Board.
• The central government will constitute an Advisory Council for Indian System of Medicine.  The Council will be the primary platform through which the states/union territories can put forth their views and concerns before the NCISM
• There will be a uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to under-graduate education in each of the disciplines of the Indian System of Medicine in all medical institutions regulated by the Bill.