The central government on Monday introduced the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, and the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, in Lok Sabha.The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill aims to set up National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC), and will repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947, to streamline nursing education in India.
Main point
- The Bill repeals the Dentists Act, 1948 and the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.
- The Bill proposes to create a regulatory body for dentists and nurses and midwives on the lines of the National Medical Commission (NMC).
- There shall be an autonomous Board for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education, Assessment, Rating, Ethics and Registration Board to look after various aspects of dental and nursing education.
- There is also a provision for creating live national registers in both the bills.
- The National Dental Commission Bill and the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill propose to create a regulatory body on the lines of the NMC.
- Medical professionals are currently required to register with their respective State Councils.
- The registers created under the new Bills will be dynamic, state and national registers will be automatically synced, with the qualifications of professionals being updated from time to time.
- The National Dental Commission Bill provides for an exit test for dentists on the lines of the National Exit Test.
Effect of the bill
- Experts say this will lead to greater government control over the decisions of the regulatory body.
- The President of the Dental Council is currently elected by the General Body. In the proposed bill, the key officials of the regulatory body will be nominated by the government.
- This will further increase the role of the government in the regulation of education.
- A person can hold key positions for a maximum of four years.
- The Bill states that no person above the age of 70 years can hold these posts.
- This bill is one of the ongoing efforts to develop an international standard curriculum.
- This will bring about a major change in regulating the profession in the Indian context towards quality education and need-based research.
- The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, apart from creating a regulatory framework, defines the scope of practice.
- In this, midwives have been included in the bill which is not there in the present act (Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947).
- Most importantly, the Bill aims to increase the scope of practice for nurses in various specialties.