(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force,—
(a) no person shall establish a medical college; or
(b) no medical college shall—
(i) open a new or higher course of study or training, including a post-graduate course of study or training, which would enable a student of such course or training to qualify himself for the award of any recognised medical qualification; or
(ii) increase its admission capacity in any course of study or training including a postgraduate course of study or training, except with the previous permission of the Central Government obtained in accordance with the provisions of this section.
1. The words in brackets shall stand substituted (date to be notified) by Act 43 of 2010, s. 3 to read as “, Unani and Sowa-Rigpa”.
2. The words in brackets shall stand substituted (date to be notified) by s. 5, ibid., to read as “, Unani or Sowa-Rigpa”.
3. Subs. by Act 58 of 2003, s. 3, for Chapter IIA (w.e.f. 7-11-2003).
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Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this section, “person” includes any University or a trust, but does not include the Central Government.
Explanation 2.—For the purposes of this section, “admission capacity”, in relation to any course of study or training, including post-graduate course of study or training, in a medical college, means the maximum number of students as may be fixed by the Central Government from time to time for being admitted to such course or training.
(2) Every person or medical college shall, for the purpose of obtaining permission under sub-section
(1), submit to the Central Government a scheme in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (3) and the Central Government shall refer the scheme to the Central Council for its recommendations.
(3) The scheme referred to in sub-section (2), shall be in such form and contain such particulars and be preferred in such manner and accompanied with such fee, as may be prescribed.
(4) On receipt of a scheme from the Central Government under sub-section (2), the Central Council may obtain such other particulars as may be considered necessary by it from the person or the medical college concerned, and thereafter, it may,—
(a) if the scheme is defective and does not contain necessary particulars, give a reasonable opportunity to the person or medical college concerned for making a written representation and it shall be open to such person or medical college to rectify the defects, if any, specified by the Central Council;
(b) consider the scheme, having regard to the factors referred to in sub-section (8) and submit it to the Central Government together with its recommendations thereon within a period not exceeding six months from the date of receipt of the reference from the Central Government.
(5) The Central Government may, after considering the scheme and recommendations of the Central Council under sub-section (4) and after obtaining, where necessary, such other particulars as may be considered necessary by it from the person or medical college concerned and having regard to the factors referred to in sub-section (8), either approve the scheme with such conditions, if any, as it may consider necessary or disapprove the scheme and any such approval shall constitute as a permission under sub-section (1):
Provided that no scheme shall be disapproved by the Central Government except after giving the person or medical college concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard:
Provided further that nothing in this sub-section shall prevent any person or medical college whose scheme has not been approved by the Central Government to submit a fresh scheme and the provisions of this section shall apply to such scheme as if such scheme had been submitted for the first time under subsection (2).
(6) Where, within a period of one year from the date of submission of the scheme to the Central Government under sub-section (2), no order is communicated by the Central Government to the person or medical college submitting the scheme, such scheme shall be deemed to have been approved by the Central Government in the form in which it was submitted, and, accordingly, the permission of the Central Government required under sub-section (1) shall also be deemed to have been granted.
(7) In computing the time-limit specified in sub-section (6), the time taken by the person or medical college concerned submitting the scheme, in furnishing any particulars called for by the Central Council, or by the Central Government, shall be excluded.
(8) The Central Council while making its recommendations under clause (b) of sub-section (4) and the Central Government while passing an order, either approving or disapproving the scheme under subsection (5), shall have due regard to the following factors, namely:—
(a) whether the proposed medical college or the existing medical college seeking to open a new or higher course of study or training, would be in a position to offer the minimum standards of medical education as prescribed by the Central Council under section 22;
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(b) whether the person seeking to establish a medical college or the existing medical college seeking to open a new or higher course of study or training or to increase its admission capacity has adequate financial resources;
(c) whether necessary facilities in respect of staff, equipment, accommodation, training, hospital or other facilities to ensure proper functioning of the medical college or conducting the new course of study or training or accommodating the increased admission capacity have been provided or would be provided within the time-limit specified in the scheme;
(d) whether adequate hospital facilities, having regard to the number of students likely to attend such medical college or course of study or training or the increased admission capacity have been provided or would be provided within the time-limit specified in the scheme;
(e) whether any arrangement has been made or programme drawn to impart proper training to students likely to attend such medical college or the course of study or training by persons having recognised medical qualifications;
(f) the requirement of manpower in the field of practice of Indian medicine in the college;
(g) any other factors as may be prescribed.
(9) Where the Central Government passes an order either approving or disapproving a scheme under this section, a copy of the order shall be communicated to the person or medical college concerned.