Parliamentary Panel Questions Rejection of NIMERs Proposal, Demands Explanation

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, in its second report for the 18th Lok Sabha, has expressed concern over the Department of Expenditure’s (DoE) decision to reject the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ (DoP) proposal for establishing National Institutes for Medical Device Education and Research (NIMERs).

The NIMERs were proposed on the lines of NIPERs (National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research) to meet the specific technical requirements of the medical device industry and support human resource development. According to the Committee’s earlier observations, establishing NIMERs was seen as a significant step towards fulfilling the technical and skill-based needs of the medical device industry. The Committee had expressed trust that the initiatives taken by the Department would be implemented effectively and without facing resource constraints.

In its action-taken notes, the DoP informed the Committee that the proposal to establish NIMERs had been sent to the DoE, which declined the proposal. The DoE suggested that instead of creating new institutions, the DoP could consider running courses on medical device education and research through existing institutions such as universities, NIPERs, IITs, and medical colleges in consultation with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Health Research, and Ministry of Education.

The Committee has criticized this decision, terming it an “unfortunate sequence of events.” It noted that consultation with multiple ministries and departments would be a challenging task for the DoP. The Committee has now requested the DoP to clarify its proposed course of action to address the issue of NIMERs.

Additionally, the Committee has sought detailed reasons and full justification from the DoE for rejecting the proposal. It emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the decision-making process. It noted;

“The Committee are perturbed to note this unfortunate sequence of events. In view of the Committee consultation with several Ministries/Departments like Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Health Research and the Ministry of Education would itself be an uphill task for the Department of Pharmaceuticals. They therefore desire to know as to what course of action the Department of Pharmaceutical has proposed to deal with the issue of NIMERs. At the same time the Committee desire that detailed reasons along with full justification may be furnished for turning down the proposal of Department of Pharmaceuticals by the Department of Expenditure be furnished to them at the earliest.”

It is noteworthy that the DoP has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Life Sciences Sector Skill Development Council (LSSSDC) on April 5, 2024, engaging them as the Project Management Agency (PMA) for the Scheme on ‘Human Resource Development in Medical Devices Sector.’