(1) The State Commission shall take all such steps as it may think fit for ensuring coordinated and integrated development of education and maintenance of the standards of delivery of services under this Act.
(2) The State Commission may, for the purposes of performing its functions,--
(a) enforce the professional conduct, code of ethics and etiquette to be observed by the nursing and midwifery professionals including associates in the State and take disciplinary action including the removal of name of a professional from the State Register;
(b) ensure standards of education, courses, curricula, physical and instructional facilities, staff pattern, staff qualifications, quality instructions, assessment, examination, training, research, continuing professional education as provided by the Autonomous Boards;
(c) maintain the State Registers for registered professionals;
(d) issue certification of specialisation or other forms of certification to those who practice the profession of nursing and midwifery;
(e) conduct common counselling for admission to nursing associate and midwifery associate courses regulated under this Act;
(f) provide for a skill based examination to ensure adequate competence of Nursing and Midwifery Associates before enrolment in the State Register;
(g) ensure compliance of all the directives issued by the National Commission;
(h) meet with Principals of all colleges of nursing and schools of nursing in the State at least once in every quarter to identify and resolve issues; and
(i) perform such other functions as may be entrusted to it by the State Government or Union territory Administration or the National Commission or as may be necessary for implementation of the provisions of this Act.
(3) Where a State Act confers power upon the State Commission to take disciplinary action in respect of any professional or ethical misconduct by a registered professional, the State Commission shall act in such manner as may be specified by regulations and the guidelines framed under this Act.
Provided that till such time as a State Commission is constituted in a State, the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board shall receive the complaints and grievances relating to any professional or ethical misconduct against a registered professional in that State in accordance with such procedure as may be specified by regulations:
Provided further that the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board or the State Commission, as the case may be, shall give an opportunity of hearing to the registered professional concerned before taking any action, including imposition of any monetary penalty against such person.
(4) A registered professional or any person, who is aggrieved by any action taken by a State Commission under sub-section (3), may prefer an appeal to the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board within a period of sixty days against such action, and the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board shall decide on the appeal within a period of sixty days, and the decision of the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board thereupon shall be binding on the State Commission, unless a second appeal is preferred under sub-section (5).
(5) A registered professional or any person, who is aggrieved by the decision of the Nursing and Midwifery Ethics and Registration Board, may prefer a second appeal to the National Commission within a period of sixty days of receipt of communication of such decision and the National Commission shall dispose of such appeal within a period of ninety days from the date of that appeal.
Explanation.--For the purposes of this Act, the expressions--
(a) "professional or ethical misconduct" includes any act of commission or omission as may be specified by regulations; and
(b) "State" includes Union territory and the expressions "State Government" and "State Nursing and Midwifery Commission", in relation to a Union territory, shall respectively mean the "Central Government” and "Union Territory Nursing and Midwifery Commission".