Imphal, April 03 2010: After nine months of waiting, Union Ministry of Home Affairs has returned the Manipur Medical Council Bill, 2009 without assent from the President stating that a clause of the bill is found to be contradictory with the provision of the Indian Medical Council.

The state government moved the bill, the Manipur Medical Council Bill, 2009 to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for obtaining assent of the President following a recommendation of the Manipur Governor.

The bill, which would oversee the standard of medical education in the state in redressing the difficulties of the medical students and practitioners, was passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on July, 23, 2009 .

In the absence of a medical council in the state, all the medical students and those already practicing in the state have to register/renew their registration in other state such as the Assam Medical College, Guwahati, etc.

Manipur has one Medical College, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

It has an annual intake of 100 MBBS seats.

Every year about 60 students pass out and another 26 to 30 students from the state pass out from medical colleges outside the state.

Amid this, the state government is making hectic efforts to commence the session of JNIMS from this year.

The first and foremost objective of the Manipur Medical Council is to maintain uniform standard of Medical Education and to redress the difficulties facing the medical students and practitioners of the state, etc.

once the Bill is enacted as Act, according to the official of the state health department.

The Council will also act as statutory body for giving registration to the eligible medical practitioners so that they may be permitted to practice and serve both in the government and private institution.

When the bill was submitted to the Governor of Manipur for his assent, observing some defects in the bill, Governor Gurbachan Jagat returned the bill to the Assembly for re-consideration.

The bill was furnished to the President of India through the Union Ministry of Home Affairs with the knowledge of the Governor.

But, for a long time, the state government did not get any communication from the Rashtrapati Bhavan with regard to the bill.

Before submitting the bill to the President for his assent, the MHA examined the bill.

They also consulted with the Union Ministry of Law and Justice Department of Legal Affairs which found clause 13 of the Bill relating to Power and Function of the State Medical Council contrary to the provisions made by the Indian Medical Council under the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 .

While consulting the State Law Department after the MHA returned the bill, it was advised to delete clause 13 (C) of the bill as it is stated to be contrary to the provisions made by the Indian Medical Council, official sources said.

The Clause says "to provide a code of ethics for regulating the Professional conduct of practitioners" is already provided by the Medical Council of India (professional conduct etiquette and ethics, etc.) Regulation, 2002 .

State health and family welfare department has submitted a proposal to the state government to approve the deletion of the Clause and send the bill once again to the President for her assent, the source added.

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