The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance to replace the existing Central Council of Homoeopathy with a National Commission of Homeopathy to regulate and standardize homeopathy education and treatment in the country, as reported in the TOI, May 16, 2018. The ordinance is yet to receive the approval of the President.

Along the lines of the National Medical Commission, the National Commission of Homeopathy will include seven eminent homeopaths and administrators (VCs) nominated by the government. A bill to back up the executive order is proposed to come up in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

The Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Ayush. It was established in 1973 by the government as the apex body to regulate homeopathy education in India. Any institution desiring to grant a qualification in homeopathy is required to apply to the Council, which prescribes course curriculum and maintains central registers of homoeopaths.

The Niti Aayog had proposed to replace CCH with the National Commission of Homeopathy in its draft National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2017. It has also proposed replacing the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) with the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine covering Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa, Yoga and Naturopathy in its draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCISM) Bill, 2017.

CCIM is also a statutory body under Ministry of Ayush. It was set up in 1971 under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act to monitor higher education in Indian systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani.

In March this year, the Union Cabinet approved the amendments to National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill as recommended by the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee (DRPSC). The National Medical Commission Bill, if enacted will replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) and will be the regulatory body for medical education and practice in the country.

Will this trend be followed for other councils?

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

Vice President CMAAO

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Immediate Past National President IMA