The Hindu : National : A bone of contention between Ministries

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National

A bone of contention between Ministries

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: In a turf battle of sorts over the right to regulate medical education, the Health Ministry announced its intention of subsuming the Medical Council of India under a new regulatory body barely days after the Human Resource Development Ministry said a Commission set up by it would henceforth be responsible for running all professional councils and regulatory bodies, including the MCI.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced the setting up of a National Council for Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) to act as an overarching regulatory body that would bring within its purview existing medical professional councils and regulatory agencies like the MCI.

The proposed move appears to clash with the HRD Ministry’s proposal announced last week of establishing an autonomous umbrella authority for higher education and research.

According to the HRD Ministry, the National Commission for Higher Education and Research, based on the recommendations of the Yashpal Committee report, would encompass within it professional councils and regulatory bodies like the University Grants Commission, the All India Council for Technical Education and the MCI.

Asked about the “overlapping” of the jurisdictions of the two proposed panels, Mr. Azad said the matter would be sorted out between the two Ministries. The setting up of the NCHRH was mentioned in the President’s speech in Parliament. As of now, the MCI, the Nursing Council of India, the Dental Council of India and other such bodies are functioning in isolation, Mr. Azad said.

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