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Indian Nursing Council (INC) 2021

Indian Nursing Council (INC)- Relevance for UPSC Prelims

  • GS Paper 2: Indian Constitution- Statutory, regulatory, and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Indian Polity

 

Indian Nursing Council (INC)- Context

  • The recent notification of the Indian Nursing Council’s (INC) restricted the 5% reservation for persons with disabilities (PwD) in B.Sc. Nursing courses are only for those with lower limb disability, and that too for the 40-50% disabled.
  • The Indian Nursing Council’s (INC) notification has come under criticism from a pan-India group of health professionals with disabilities.
  • The group demanded the following from the Union Health Ministry and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities –
    • Repeal of the allegedly discriminatory clause.
    • Nurses with disabilities and disability rights activists are involved in the framing of new guidelines.

Nipah Virus in India

 

Indian Nursing Council (INC)- Key Points

  • About Indian Nursing Council’s (INC): It is an Autonomous Body under the Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
    • The Indian Nursing Council (INC) was constituted by the Central Government under the provisions of the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947 of parliament.
  • Mandate of Indian Nursing Council (INC): To establish a uniform standard of training for nurses, midwives, and health visitors.
  • Regulation: The Indian Nursing Council regulates nursing education through prescription, inspection, examination, and certification.
    • 91% of the nursing education institutions are private and weakly regulated. The quality of training of nurses is diminished by uneven and weak regulation.

Jayaprakash Narayan

 

Nursing Sector in India

  • Insufficient Strength: India’s nursing workforce is about two-thirds of its health workforce.
    • There are 7 nurses per 1,000 population is 43% less than the World Health Organization norm (India needs 2.4 million nurses to meet the norm).
  • Structure Challenges of the Nursing Sector in India lead to poor quality of training, inequitable distribution, and non-standardized practices.
  • Gaps in Nursing Education:
    • Vacancy in faculty positions: There are around 86% and 80% vacancies in nursing colleges and schools, respectively.
    • Uneven distribution of Nursing institutions: Around 62% of nursing institutions are situated in southern India.

National Statistical Office (NSO)

 

Recent Developments

  • The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill has been prepared by the government to replace the Indian Nursing Council with a new body called National Nursing and Midwifery Commission.
  • National Nursing and Midwifery Commission: This body would have representatives of the Centre and the states. Its key functions would be-
    • To frame policies and regulate standards for the governance of nursing and midwifery education and institutions.
    • To provide standards for nursing and midwifery faculty and clinical facility in teaching institutions.
    • To frame policies and codes to ensure observance of professional ethics in the nursing and midwifery profession.
    • It will also assess and rate different institutions offering courses.

 

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