THE INDIAN MEDICAL COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2016 passed by Lok Sabha

New Delhi : As a culmination to the policy confusion to the NEET examinations for this year, the day saw  The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016—seeking to amend the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and the Dentists Act, 1948 being introduced in the parliament  to replace the NEET ordinances that was earlier enforced by the government .

A significant bill aimed at putting in place a single common examination for medical and dental courses, the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, with the government saying even private colleges will be under its ambit.

The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016 provides a Constitutional status to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination" which is intended to be introduced in the academic session next year.

The Bill seeks to amend the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and the Dentists Act, 1948 and replace the Ordinances that were promulgated by the government to circumvent the Supreme Court order for implementation of NEET examination this session itself.

Moving the Bill for consideration and passing, Health Minister J P Nadda said there were three main objectives behind the move -- end the multiplicity of examinations, have fair and transparent examinations and adopt non-exploitative process.

He said earlier students would have to travel long distances to appear for several medical entrance examinations.

Currently students undergo exploitation particularly with regard to the caiptation fees, he said, adding the new legislation will end this.

Responding to apprehensions expressed by members, particularly Tamil Nadu where reservation is upto 85 per cent, he clarified, "We are not going to touch the state quota.Students in Tamil Nadu will be competing in Tamil Nadu only.We should be very much clear about that."

However, AIADMK members were not satisfied and staged a walkout.

Nadda said the exam will be held on the basis of the syllabus of NCERT and the under-graduate exam will be taken up by CBSE and post-graduation by the national board of examination.

"In the syllabus, we will take care of the differences and we will do standardisation of syllabus so that rural students can also taken care of," he added. .

It is reported that while an ordinance has a life of six months, it should be passed as a bill within 42 days (6 weeks) from the day a Parliament session commences to prevent it from lapsing.

The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016, with its clearance  now seeks to replace the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016, and provides for the following, namely:—

(a) to insert a new section 10D in the Act for conducting of uniform entrance examination to all medical educational institutions at the undergraduate level and post-graduate level through such designated authority in Hindi, English and such other languages in such manner as may be prescribed;

(b) to insert a proviso in the said section so as to provide that notwithstanding any judgment or order of any court, the provisions of this section shall not apply, in relation to the uniform entrance examination at the undergraduate level for the academic year 2016-17 conducted in accordance with any regulations made under this Act, in respect of the State Government seats (whether in Government Medical College or in a private Medical College) where such State has not opted for such examination; and

(c) to amend section 33 of the Act so as to enable the Council to make regulations for all matters connected with the conduct of uniform entrance examination.