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New Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Govt backs integrated medical course proposed by Auroville at JIPMER without consulting regulatory bodies: RTIs
NEW DELHI: The Centre has announced a new integrated medical course combining MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry. However, the announcement of starting such a course, which met with stiff opposition from modern medicine practitioners, has one big catch – the regulatory bodies, including the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), do not seem to be involved in the proposal or even setting up the curriculum, as per RTI documents. File noting, made available through RTIs, has shown that the Union Health Ministry has sought comments from JIPMER about its proposal, the details on the course and its curriculum not once or twice but four times. The last time the ministry wrote to JIPMER to comment was on July 11 – nearly two months after Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH, Prataprao Jadhav, announced on May 27 about the course, stating that 'it is in the conceptual stage, and efforts are underway to frame a new syllabus.' The ministry's push for comments from JIPMER is in sharp contrast to a similar proposal made in 2022 by a Dehradun-based individual who had suggested changes in medical courses etc. At that time, the union health ministry had forwarded the proposals to the NMC, a statutory body that regulates medical education, medical professionals, institutes, and research. Moreover, there was no joint meeting involving all the three regulatory bodies – the NMC, the Central Council of Homoeopathy and the Central Council of Indian Medicine - which meets every year once to enhance the interface between Homoeopathy, Indian Systems of Medicine and modern systems of medicine – to discuss the new course. Kerala-based RTI activist, Dr K V Babu, who filed a series of RTIs to get more information about the government's attempt for 'mixopathy,' said the NCISM to his question on more details about such a course said, 'No such information is available with this Commission.'
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi HC Declares Appointment of Nagpur's Dr Jayant Deopujari as NCISM Chairperson Illegal
1 2 Nagpur: The Delhi high court declared the appointment of Nagpur's veteran Ayurveda practitioner Dr Jayant Deopujari as chairperson of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) illegal. The court ruled that Dr Deopujari did not meet the statutory eligibility criteria laid down under the NCISM Act, 2020. The judgment was delivered on June 6 by a division bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and justice Tushar Rao Gedela in response to petitions filed by two former Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) presidents, Dr Ved Prakash Tyagi and Dr Raghunandan Sharma. According to the NCISM Act, the chairperson of the commission must possess a postgraduate degree in any discipline of Indian Systems of Medicine from a recognised university and at least 20 years of experience, including 10 years in a leadership role in healthcare delivery, development, or education in Indian Systems of Medicine. The court found that Dr Deopujari holds a BAMS degree (Bachelor's in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and a PhD in Kayachikitsa, but no MD or equivalent postgraduate degree in Ayurveda. He directly pursued a PhD without undergoing a standard postgraduate course, which the court ruled does not qualify as a substitute for a postgraduate (MD) degree. His claimed 'leadership' experience, particularly his role in a private Ayurvedic pharmaceutical company (Shivayu Ayurved Ltd, Nagpur), did not align with the law's definition of leadership in healthcare delivery or education. The high court made it clear that a PhD, though a research qualification, cannot be equated with a postgraduate degree for the purpose of statutory eligibility. The bench noted that the role of the NCISM chairperson requires educational and administrative qualifications rooted in medical education, not merely private sector experience. In strong words, the court observed, "Every degree awarded after graduation cannot be termed a postgraduate degree... the expression has acquired a specific technical meaning in India's higher education context." The court also clarified that eligibility norms cannot be diluted, even if a search committee or selection body finds a candidate suitable. The verdict may have far-reaching implications for regulatory appointments in the AYUSH sector. It reinforces the importance of adhering to strict statutory qualifications in public appointments, especially in healthcare education. As of now, the NCISM and the Union ministry of AYUSH have not announced a replacement for Dr Deopujari or commented on whether they will challenge the decision. Dr Deopujari, a prominent figure from Nagpur in the field of Ayurveda, previously served as president of the now-defunct CCIM. His tenure as NCISM chairperson was challenged in 2021.
