Centre gives nod to draft Bill on Indian medicine
News:
Government approves bill for setting up of National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine
Important Facts:
Salient features:
- The draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018, seeks to replace the existing regulator, the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM), with a new body to ensure transparency and accountability
- The draft Bill will enable the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards for the purpose of conducting overall education in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowarigpa.
- There are two common boards namely
- Board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational institutions of Indian systems of Medicine
- Board of ethics and registration of practitioners of Indian systems of medicine to maintain National Register and ethical issues relating to practice under the National Commission for Indian Medicine
- It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam, which all graduates will have to clear to get practicing licenses.
- Further, a teacher’s eligibility test has been proposed in the Bill to assess the standard of teachers before appointment and promotions.
Significance:
- The proposed regulatory structure will enable transparency and accountability for protecting the interest of the general public.
- The move will address the shortage of doctors in rural and remote areas—a gap which is being filled, in many places, by AYUSH professionals.
