The Centre on December 11 defended the change within the Nationwide Medical Fee’s emblem to characteristic Dhanwantari the physicians of the Gods in Hindu mythology as an alternative of a secular emblem, saying it was a part of India’s heritage and everybody should really feel happy with it.
When the TMC’s Santanu Sen raised the difficulty of the change within the emblem by means of a Zero Hour point out within the Rajya Sabha, Well being Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated Dhanwantari is a logo of Indian medical science.
“[It was] already a part of the [Commission’s] logo and just some colour has been added and nothing more,” he stated.
“This is India’s heritage. I feel we should feel proud [about it],” he added.
The Minister stated the emblem is designed by taking inspiration from the nation’s heritage.
“This is a symbol of medical science…someone who had done so much research in medical science. We have used the photo with no other intention.” The Medical Council of India (MCI) emblem was adopted in 1934 after the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, was enacted.
The legislation outlined medication as “modern scientific medicine and includes surgery and obstetrics” and the emblem used was primarily based on the worldwide image for medication — the employees of Aesclepius, the Greek god of drugs and therapeutic.
The brand additionally featured a snake wound across the employees.
Whereas there was no official announcement of a change within the Fee’s emblem, a black and white emblem with the depiction of Dhanwantari on the centre reportedly appeared in December 2022. The colourised model appeared a few months later.
Elevating the difficulty by means of a Zero Hour point out, Mr. Sen demanded the restoration of the Nationwide Medical Fee’s earlier emblem.
He stated the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956 was repealed in 2020 regardless of objections from completely different corners of society and the medical fraternity.
“The National Medical Commission came into force from 25th September 2020, repealing the 64-year-old Indian Medical Council Act, 1956,” he added.
Earlier it was termed as “western medicine”, then it turned “medicine” and eventually it was termed as “modern medicine”, Mr. Sen stated and added that the emblem of contemporary medication is the employees of Aesclepius.
“And there was no need and there was no permissible condition, so far as the National Medical Commission is concerned, that this logo can be changed. But, unfortunately, we have seen in the recent past, I don’t know [if it is] because of government instruction or by the National Medical Commission itself, they have changed the logo and they have brought a photograph of Dhanwantari in the logo,” Mr. Sen stated.
The “change of logo was absolutely not needed. It symbolises one particular religion,” he added.
The Nationwide Medical Fee, he stated, regulates medical curriculum and sanctions new medical faculties.
“Its function is not to promote any particular religion. Even the Ayush department did not change its logo but the National Medical Commission has,” the TMC MP stated.
“It is against the basic oath which doctors take after passing MBBS. They take the oath that we will treat each and every patient irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. We are not bound to treat one particular religion,” he stated.
The change of emblem, he stated, was towards the essential essence of the Indian Structure which, by means of Article 25 and 26 after the forty second Modification in 1976, states that India is a secular nation.
“And we should promote the dovetailing of religion,” Mr. Sen stated and demanded that the Nationwide Medical Fee instantly restore the earlier emblem that didn’t symbolise any specific faith.