Ordinance allows panel to supersede scam-tainted MCI

Ordinance allows panel to supersede scam-tainted MCI

News:

1. Government  issued the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, thereby starting the process of restructuring the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Important Facts:

2. About Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018

• Repealing MCI: The ordinance supersedes the MCI and the powers of the council have been vested in seven-member Board of Governors led by NITI Aayog Member Dr. V.K. Paul.
• Transfer of powers: With the ordinance coming into force, the powers of MCI will be switched from the elective council body to the BoG whose members will be professionals of great eminence and apolitical.
• Functions: BoG will bring about urgent and much required reforms in the field of medical education and promote access to quality healthcare for all the people of India.
• Tenure: The BoG will continue to perform till a Council is constituted.A similar Board of Governors was also appointed in 2010.

3. Reasons for bringing ordinance into effect

• Parliamentary delays: The delay in the passage of National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017 led government to take immediate steps to pass an ordinance.
• End of term: The term of the elected body of the MCI is about to end shortly, so a need was felt to run its affairs by a committee.

4. Supreme Court Observations:

• Amid allegations of corruption against MCI office bearers and probes into opaque accreditation to medical colleges, the Supreme Court had in May 2016 directed the government to set up an oversight committee with the authority to oversee all statutory functions of MCI till the new legislation comes in.

For further details please refer:

https://forumias.com/blog/national-medical-commission-bill-2017-an-analysis/