MCI panel holds its first meeting

A six-member panel which replaced the corruption-ridden Medical Council of India today held its first meeting here to discuss the functioning of the dissolved regulatory body.

A six-member panel which replaced the corruption-ridden Medical Council of India on Monday held its first meeting here to discuss the functioning of the dissolved regulatory body.

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The panel, headed by eminent doctor SK Sarin, met senior officials of the dissolved MCI, set up 76 years ago to regulate medical education in the country, and wanted to know about the roles and procedures followed for giving approval to colleges, official sources said.

The panel, dissolved through an ordinance on May 15, will meet Health Secretary Sujatha Rao on Tuesday and discuss how to carry out the regulatory functions in health education, they said.

Ketan Desai, the former chief of the now dissolved Medical Council of India, and two others were arrested by CBI on April 24 for allegedly taking a Rs two-crore bribe to grant recognition to a medical college in Punjab.

The other members of the panel, which will be in charge till the next one year, are Ranjit Roy Chowdhary, Sita Naik, Gautam Sen, Devi Shetty and RL Salhan.

The Government has said it would bring a new law for the formation of an overarching body to regulate medical education in the country.

The Health Secretary will also discuss with her HRD counterpart Vibha Puri Das matters relating to the proposal for inclusion of medical education under National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER).

Rao has already opposed the idea of including health education under proposed NCHER and favoured that health education should be part of NCHRH.

A draft law for NCHRH would be formulated by June end, Rao has said.