Supreme Court panel to monitor MCI

Endorsing a Parliamentary Standing Committee report of March 2016 that medical education and profession in the country is at its lowest ebb and suffering from total system failure due to corruption and decay, the Supreme Court has set up a three-member committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, to oversee the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) for at least a year.

In doing so, the court has exercised its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. It empowers the Supreme Court to pass such ''decree or order as may be necessary for doing complete justice between the parties''.

Background:

Court was bound to take this route as the government had not acted on the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare. Its report on ''The functioning of the Medical Council of India'' was tabled in Parliament on March 8, 2016.

Other details:

According to the court, the Justice Lodha committee will have the authority to oversee all statutory functions under the MCI Act. All policy decisions of the MCI will require approval of the Oversight Committee.

The Committee will be free to issue appropriate remedial directions. The Committee will function till the Central Government puts in place any other appropriate mechanism after due consideration of the Expert Committee Report.

About MCI:

• The Medical Council of India (MCI) is the statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India.
• The Council grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, and monitors medical practice in India.
• The Medical Council of India was first established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933. The Council was later reconstituted under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 that replaced the earlier Act.

Important functions performed by the council:

• Establishment and maintenance of uniform standards for undergraduate medical education.
• Regulation of postgraduate medical education in medical colleges accredited by it..
• Recognition of medical qualifications granted by medical institutions in India.
• Recognition of foreign medical qualifications in India.
• Accreditation of medical colleges.
• Registration of doctors with recognized medical qualifications.
• Keeping a directory of all registered doctors (called the Indian Medical Register).