The National Medical Commission abolished the Medical Council of India and repealed a 1956 law

Background

The National Medical Commission was constituted along with four Autonomous Boards, and with it the decades old institution of the Medical Council of India stands abolished. The National Medical Commission Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament in August, 2019. With the coming into effect of the Act from 25th September, 2020, the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 stands repealed, and the Board of Governors appointed in supersession of the Medical Council of India was dissolved with effect from the same date. The four Autonomous Boards that help the Commission in its day to day functioning oversee undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, accreditation and assessment, and the ethics and professional conduct of doctors; they include the Medical Assessment and Rating Board and the Ethics and Medical Registration Board. The basic change is that the regulator is now selected rather than elected. Besides the Chairperson, the Commission has 10 ex-officio members, 10 nominees from Vice Chancellors of Health Universities of States and Union Territories, 9 nominees from State Medical Councils and three expert members from diverse professions. The Commission's work includes the modalities of a common final year examination after MBBS, the National Exit Test, to serve for both registration and postgraduate entrance, guidelines for fee regulation by private medical colleges, and standards for Community Health Providers.