Medical Council of India and its Improvements

The Medical Council of India (MCI) was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, as an elected body for

• Maintaining the medical register and providing ethical oversight

An amendment in 1956 added a new role

• To maintain uniform standards of medical education, both under graduate and postgraduate
• Recommend for recognition/de-recognition of medical qualifications of India or foreign countries
• Accord permanent registration to doctors with recognized medical degrees
• Ensure reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications

1993 Amendment

• Sanctioning medical colleges
• Approving the student intake
• Approving any expansion of the intake capacity requiring prior approval

Recent Controversies

• Corruption regarding approval of colleges with no sufficient infrastructure
• Helping private companies launch and establish products in market
• Unable to check unethical practices of the profession
• Unable to work on complaints

Efforts for Improvement in Past

• Ministry of Health and FW drafted a bill to establish a National Commission for Human resources for health (NCHRH)
  • Sought to revamp MCI
  • MCI to consist of nominated bodies to carry out function of human resource planning, curriculum development and quality assurance
  • Elected body limited to register doctors and govern their practice in accordance with ethical standards
• In 2014, another committee under the chairmanship of Dr Ranjit Roy Chaudhary was appointed. The current report of Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) is in near unanimity with this report

Recommendations of the PSC

• Provide a new architecture that is more in tune with current needs of the country
• To replace the principle of election with nomination
• 4 independent boards
  • Curriculum development
  • Teacher training
  • Standard setting for under graduation and post graduate education
  • Accreditation and assessment processes of colleges and courses for ensuring uniformity
• Registration of doctors
• Licensing and overseeing adherence to ethical standards

Future Ahead

• A new law is a need of time which overhauls MCI and increases its accountability
• Law Commission should draft a bill based on PSC recommendations and after discussing with stakeholders