3. Constitution of National Medical Commission. – (1) The Central Government shall constitute a Commission, to be known as the National Medical Commission, to exercise the powers conferred upon, and to perform the functions assigned to it, under this Act.
(2) The Commission shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to contract, and shall, by the said name, sue or be sued.
(3) The head office of the Commission shall be at New Delhi.
4. Composition of Commission. – (1) The Commission shall consist of the following persons to be appointed by the Central Government, namely: –
(a) a Chairperson;
(b) ten ex officio Members; and
(c) twenty-two part-time Members.
(2) The Chairperson shall be a medical professional of outstanding ability, proven administrative capacity and integrity, possessing a postgraduate degree in any discipline of medical sciences from any University and having experience of not less than twenty years in the field of medical sciences, out of which at least ten years shall be as a leader in the area of medical education.
(3) The following persons shall be the ex officio Members of the Commission, namely: –
(a) the President of the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board;
(b) the President of the Post-Graduate Medical Education Board;
(c) the President of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board;
(d) the President of the Ethics and Medical Registration Board;
(e) the Director General of Health Services, Directorate General of Health Services, New Delhi;
(f) the Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research;
(g) a Director of any of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, to be nominated by the Central Government;
(h) two persons from amongst the Directors of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh; Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry; Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai; North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong; and All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata; to be nominated by the Central Government; and
(i) one person to represent the Ministry of the Central Government dealing with Health and Family Welfare, not below the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India, to be nominated by that Ministry.
(4) The following persons shall be appointed as part-time Members of the Commission, namely: –
(a) three Members to be appointed from amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing, who have special knowledge and professional experience in such areas including management, law, medical ethics, health research, consumer or patient rights advocacy, science and technology and economics;
(b) ten Members to be appointed on rotational basis from amongst the nominees of the States and Union territories, under clauses (c) and (d) of sub-section (2) of section 11, in the Medical Advisory Council for a term of two years in such manner as may be prescribed;
(c) nine members to be appointed from amongst the nominees of the States and Union territories, under clause (e) of sub-section (2) of section 11, in the Medical Advisory Council for a term of two years in such manner as may be prescribed.
Explanation. – For the purposes of this section and section 17, the term “leader” means the Head of a Department or the Head of an organisation.
10. Powers and functions of Commission. – (1) The Commission shall perform the following functions, namely: –
(a) lay down policies for maintaining a high quality and high standards in medical education and make necessary regulations in this behalf;
(b) lay down policies for regulating medical institutions, medical researches and medical professionals and make necessary regulations in this behalf;
(c) assess the requirements in healthcare, including human resources for health and healthcare infrastructure and develop a road map for meeting such requirements;
(d) promote, co-ordinate and frame guidelines and lay down policies by making necessary regulations for the proper functioning of the Commission, the Autonomous Boards and the State Medical Councils;
(e) ensure co-ordination among the Autonomous Boards;
(f) take such measures, as may be necessary, to ensure compliance by the State Medical Councils of the guidelines framed and regulations made under this Act for their effective functioning under this Act;
(g) exercise appellate jurisdiction with respect to the decisions of the Autonomous Boards;
(h) lay down policies and codes to ensure observance of professional ethics in medical profession and to promote ethical conduct during the provision of care by medical practitioners;
(i) frame guidelines for determination of fees and all other charges in respect of fifty per cent. of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities which are governed under the provisions of this Act;
(j) exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as may be prescribed.
(2) All orders and decisions of the Commission shall be authenticated by the signature of the Secretary.
(3) The Commission may delegate such of its powers of administrative and financial matters, as it deems fit, to the Secretary.
(4) The Commission may constitute sub-committees and delegate such of its powers to such sub-committees as may be necessary to enable them to accomplish specific tasks.
