Doctors demand withdrawal of Govt order directing medical council to register CCMP-qualified homeopaths
IMA Maharashtra
Mumbai: Allopathy doctors are opposing the Maharashtra Government's decision allowing homeopaths who have completed the one-year bridge course in Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) to secure independent registration with the Maharashtra Medical Council.
Issuing a recent press release, the Maharashtra chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) urged the State Government to withdraw its recent directive and await the outcome of the Court proceedings.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the move by Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department, which recently directed the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to start the registration of homeopathy practitioners who have completed a one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).
Upset with the recent government directive, the association has called it "dangerous" and "a threat to public health". It has also pointed out that the government's order is in contempt of court as the matter is already pending before the High Court.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, IMA State President Dr. Santosh Kadam said that the decision undermines medical science and could compromise patient safety. He warned, "MBBS doctors undergo 5.5 years of rigorous, evidence-based training in modern medicine, surgery, and emergency care. In contrast, BHMS education is confined to homeopathy, and the CCMP course provides only limited, basic knowledge of pharmacology. Equating the two is highly dangerous."
In the recent circular, the State Advocate General was quoted saying, "I am in agreement with the views expressed by the law and judiciary department that there is no impediment by way of any order of the court, which prohibits maintenance of the register as per the provisions of Section 2(h) of MMC Act. However, the preparation of the said register shall be subject to the final orders of the HC in the pending proceedings and no equities can be claimed on the basis of the register having been prepared or the names having been entered in the register or for any other reason."
IMA Maharashtra has argued that granting such recognition could lead to life-threatening risks in emergencies, where incorrect treatment, misdiagnosis, or surgical negligence might result in patients losing their lives.
The CCMP course was started based on the Government Resolution dated 13.03.2014. The course was conducted under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik. After successful completion, eligible homeopathic practitioners received training in allopathic (modern) medicine to serve in public healthcare services. In 2014, the Maharashtra Medical Council issued a notice in which the council was given the authority to ask all doctors who have completed the CCMP course to register with the council.
Back in 2017, the State Medical Education and Drugs Department passed a notification and allowed Homeopaths to practice modern medicine and register with MMC. However, allopathic doctors strongly opposed this move and the matter ultimately resulted in IMA challenging the amendments in the Bombay High Court in 2014. Consequently, the HC bench stayed the notification.
While the matter was awaiting a court judgment, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) had, on June 30, officially decided to allow homeopathic practitioners who completed the CCMP course to register with the council and prescribe allopathic medicines. MMC was directed to register CCM-qualified around 10,000 to 90,000 homeopathic doctors in Maharashtra, in a separate register starting July 15. However, the decision was put on hold and the Government suspended the registration process after IMA warned to initiate a statewide strike.
Following this, the Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department formed a seven-member special committee to decide whether homeopathic doctors who have completed the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) should be allowed to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council and practice modern (allopathic) medicine.
In a Press Release issued on 05.09.2025, IMA, Maharashtra strongly opposed the move by the State Government to legitimise the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) for homeopathic practitioners, despite ongoing legal challenges and the clear directions of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court.
It pointed out that pleas filed in this regard by IMA are already pending before Bombay High Court, which had categorically stated that all admissions and subsequent actions under the CCMP are subject to final orders, and that no equities or vested rights can be claimed by either the candidates or the Government. The Supreme Court had also dismissed the State's appeal in this regard.
Additionally, the Government had also reassured IMA Maharashtra that a committee would be convened to look into the matter and the court also gave time to hear the recommendation of this committee before the final hearing and disposal of the issue.
"In this backdrop, the State's directive to the Maharashtra Medical Council to maintain a separate register for CCMP-qualified homeopathic practitioners is premature, misleading, and against the spirit of judicial propriety. It creates an impression of legitimacy where none exists. The Law and Judiciary Department itself has clarified that any such register will not create legal rights until the High Court delivers its final judgment," the association mentioned in the release.
It reiterated that Mixopathy is dangerous and 'therefore, allowing non-allopathic practitioners to prescribe allopathic medicines through short-term courses compromises patient safety and violates the sanctity of modern medicine.'
Further, the association argued that the public health is at stake in connection to this issue and mentioned that the patients deserve care from fully trained, qualified doctors and shortcuts in medical education endanger lives.
"We call upon the Government of Maharashtra to immediately withdraw this directive and await the outcome of the Hon'ble High Court proceedings. IMA Maharashtra also appeals to the public to remain vigilant against any dilution of medical standards under the guise of CCMP or similar measures," the release added.
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