A parliamentary committee has highlighted shortcomings in the review process of NMC regulations

Summary:
A parliamentary committee has highlighted serious procedural lapses in the framing of NMC regulations, noting that several were issued without mandatory review by the Law Ministry. Expressing concern, the panel stressed that legal vetting is essential to ensure constitutional validity and warned that such omissions in delegated legislation could have significant legal consequences. It has called for stricter compliance and urged the Health Ministry to ensure all future regulations undergo proper scrutiny before being published in the Gazette of India. 

A parliamentary committee has pointed out significant procedural shortcomings, observing that important NMC regulations were issued without undergoing the mandatory review by the Law Ministry.

The panel raised serious concerns about lapses in the formulation of key rules under the National Medical Commission (NMC), highlighting that several regulations were not examined by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice as required.

The Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation stated it was “taken aback” to discover that draft regulations—an essential component of legal scrutiny—had bypassed the Law Ministry’s review. It emphasized that such vetting is vital to ensure compliance with constitutional and legal standards.

After reviewing various NMC regulations issued under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the committee described this omission as a “non-negotiable procedural step.” It cautioned that mistakes in delegated legislation could lead to serious legal implications once enforced.

The panel has recommended stricter adherence to procedures and urged the Health Ministry to ensure that all future regulations are thoroughly vetted before being published in the Gazette of India.