Amid doctors’ protest, RS clears NMC bill in Parliament

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.09.2019

Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill with an aim to reform medical education sector inflicted with corruption and malpractices. The proposed legislations seeks to regulate the cost of private medical education, ease the burden of entrance exams on students, increase the number of medical colleges and create a mid-level health cadre with limited rights to prescribe drugs.

Though Lok Sabha had passed the bill on July 29, it will have to reapprove the legislation because the government introduced some minor changes, which have been passed by the Upper House. It was passed on a day when doctors are on a countrywide strike against the proposed legislation.

The bill that seeks to repeal the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 was approved by a voice vote in the Upper House, amid a walkout by AIADMK. The key provisions of the bill include setting up of a new medical education regulator - National Medical Commission (NMC) – which will replace the Medical Council of India (MCI), introduction of final year MBBS exam as National Exit Test which will also serve as a licentiate exam for MBBS students, entrance exam for post graduate medical courses as well as a screening test for foreign medical graduates.

Full report on www.toi.in

Rahul calls FM ‘incompetent’

New Delhi:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman “incompetent” as he warned that the economy was hurtling towards recession.

Tagging a news report painting a bleak picture of Indian economy, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Mr PM, the economy has derailed and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. If your incompetent finance minister is telling you there is light, trust me it’s the train of recession coming at full throttle.”

A day earlier, Rahul had tweeted, “Demonetization and GST rollout are perfect examples of ineptitude and lack of depth in the Modi government.” TNN