Centre Sets Up National Medical Commission; Decades-Old Medical Council Of India Dissolved

Putting into effect the 'historic reforms' in the field of medical education, the Union government has set up the National Medical Commission (NMC) along with four other autonomous boards while abolishing the MCI.

The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education Boards, Medical Assessment and Rating Board, and Ethics and Medical Registration Board have been constituted to help the NMC in day-to-day functioning. The four boards come into existence with effect from Friday. The decades-old Medical Council of India (MCI) stands abolished.

Dr Suresh Chandra Sharma, Professor at the ENT department of AIIMS, has been appointed as the first chairperson of the commission. The tenure of the president will be for three years or until he/she attains the age of 70 years, DNA reported.

Secretary of the MCI's governing board Rakesh Kumar Vats will hold the responsibility of secretary in the newly formed body.

Earlier in 2018, it was decided that the MCI will be dissolved and a new body will take its place, after which the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 was passed in August 2019.

As per the report, the new commission will have a chairperson, 10 ex-officio members, and 22 part-time members.

The reforms are aimed to steer the country's medical education towards a transparent, qualitative and accountable system. The basic change is that the regulator is now 'selected' on merit, as opposed to an 'elected' regulator.

(With inputs from IANS)