Centre begins search for new National Medical Panel chairman

New Delhi: The Centre has started its search for a medical professional with at least 20 years of experience and an ability to “inspire, engage and empower the medical workforce” to head the new National Medical Commission (NMC).

With different sets of rules to operationalse NMC Act in place, the health ministry has now put out advertisements to form the commission.

Apart from the chairman of the commission, the ministry has also started the process of forming different boards under NMC to advise it on different matters.


These include medical assessment and rating board, ethics and medical registration board among others under the panel. The government has also addressed a concern of the medical fraternity that the appointments to these boards under NMC would be political and could mean people without any medical background administrating the commission.

All the boards would be headed by medical professionals and would have experienced eminent medical professionals as part-time members.NMC would replace the Medical Council of India (MCI). The new rules have given the powers to NMC to decide on how to dismantle MCI. The new rules -- National Medical Commission (Manner of Appointment and Nomination of Members, their Salary, Allowances and Terms and Conditions of Service, and Declaration of Assets, Professional and Commercial Engagements) Rules, 2019 – lay down the procedure.