•  The Union Cabinet has approved the draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018, which seeks to replace the existing regulator, the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM), with a new body to ensure transparency and accountability.

Highlights of bill:

• This bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Ayurveda under the Board of Ayurveda and Unani, Siddha and Sowarigpa under the Board of Unani, Siddha and Sowarigpa.
• There are two common boards namely Board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational institutions of Indian systems of Medicine and Board of ethics and registration of practitioners of Indian systems of medicine to maintain National Register and ethical issues relating to practice under the National Commission for Indian Medicine, the statement stated.
• It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam, which all graduates will have to clear to get practising licenses. Further, a teacher’s eligibility test has been proposed in the Bill to assess the standard of teachers before appointment and promotions.
• The government was committed to promote Indian System of Medicine, from Ayurveda to Siddha to Unani.
• But it is equally important that we remain alive to having value addition in terms of eligibility, quality, in terms of having a system which produces quality practitioners and quality teachers. It is a major step in this direction.
• This bill is aimed at bringing reforms in the medical education of Indian medicine sector in lines with the National Medical Commission proposed for setting up for Allopathy system of medicine.
• The proposed regulatory structure will enable transparency and accountability for protecting the interests of the general public.