The Cabinet has approved the draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018, which seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) with a new body to ensure transparency.
- This is on the lines of National Medical Commission Bill that is meant to regulate allopathy medicine system.
- The NCIM will promote availability of affordable healthcare services in all parts of the country.
- The Cabinet has also approved the draft National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2018, aimed at replacing the Central Council for Homoeopathy, which is the current regulatory body for homoeopathy.
Salient Features
- The Bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha & Sowarigpa under the Board of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa respectively.
- In order to ensure transparency the draft bill also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam that all graduates will have to clear to obtain their license to practice Indian medicine.
- Further, a teacher’s eligibility test has been proposed in the Bill to assess the standard of teachers before appointment and promotions.
- Establishes two common boards – board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational institutions of Indian systems of medicine; and a board of ethics and registration of practitioners of Indian systems of medicine to maintain a National Register and deal with ethical issues.
