Majority of members in Rajya Sabha on July 4 supported the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which provides for supersession of Medical Council of India for a period of two years with effect from September 26, 2018.

The bill will replace an Ordinance promulgated on February 21. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan moved the bill in the Upper House. Earlier the Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on July 4. Earlier Binoy Viswam (CPI) moved a resolution to disapprove the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Second Ordinance, 2019 promulgated on February 21, 2019." 

Rising to support the bill, Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) blamed the government for the inordinate delay in bringing the draft law to the House. Yadav also asked the government to bring a National Medical Commission to streamline the medical education in the country. BJP leader Vikas Mahatame also supported the bill and said medical seats have been increased by 15,000 in the country.

While supporting the bill, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked the government to bring the National Medical Commission Bill in Parliament. R Lakshmanan (AIDMK), Prashanta Nanda (BJD), Ram Chandra Prasad Singh (JDU) and K Keshav Rao (TRS) also supported the bill. The Indian Medical Council or the Medical Council of India (MCI) was set up under the Medical Council Act 1956, for setting standards for medical professionals, new medical colleges and revision of curriculum, among others.

The Cabinet on June 12 had approved the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which provides for supersession of the MCI for a period of 2 years with effect from September 26, 2018, during which the board of governors will run it. The move aims to ensure transparency, accountability and quality in the governance of medical education in the country.

The Bill also proposes to increase the number of members in the board of Governors to 12 from the existing 7. The Health Ministry had come across certain arbitrary action by the MCI in disregard to the provision of IMC Act and regulations. Further, the oversight committee constituted by the Supreme Court to oversee the functioning of MCI had also cited instances of non-compliance of their instructions and subsequently all its members tendered their resignation.

In view of these developments and to put an alternative mechanism in place of MCI so as to bring transparency, accountability and quality in the governance of medical education in the country, it was decided to supersede the MCI through the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, promulgated on September 26 and entrust its affairs to a board of governors consisting of eminent doctors.

Subsequently, the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 14, 2018, and passed by the House on December 31. However, the Bill could not be taken up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha. Accordingly, it was decided to promulgate a fresh Ordinance namely the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, to allow the board of governors appointed in view of supersession of MCI to continue to exercise powers of MCI.