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- National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, 2019 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
- The National Medical Commission Bill 2019 proposes to repeal the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
- If enacted, the current Medical Council of India (MCI) would be replaced by a National Medical Commission. The bill seeks to replace the MCI on the grounds that the Council was corrupt.
- Further, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its 92nd report (in 2016) reported that the process by which the MCI regulated medical colleges was flawed.
- The NMC Bill provides for the constitution of a 25-member NMC selected by a search committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
- The Commission will have four autonomous boards: a) Undergraduate Medical Education Board, b) Post-Graduate Medical Education Board, c) Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and d) Ethics and Medical Registration Board.
- The commission also be responsible for regulating fees and all other charges for half the seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities.
- The bill proposes a common final year MBBS exam called National Exit Test (NEXT) to start medical practice. It will also be used for entrance into postgraduate medical courses, and act as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.
- The Bill also proposes to unify all entrance procedures for medical courses in the country.
- The Bill also puts a cap on fees on 50 per cent of seats in MBBS and PG colleges.
