Latest news with #NationalCommissionforIndianSystemofMedicine


Time of India
13-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
No Class 12 marks bar for Ayurveda admissions from 2025; NEET still mandatory
Aspiring Ayurveda students will benefit from a recent policy change by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM). The commission has eliminated the minimum marks requirement in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in Class 12 for BAMS admissions. BHOPAL: Aspiring Ayurveda students will no longer need to meet a minimum marks threshold in Class 12 to gain admission to Ayurveda medical colleges. The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has eliminated the previous requirement of scoring at least 50% in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB) for general category candidates, and 40% for SC/ST/OBC categories. According to a notification from NCISM secretary Sachchidanand Prasad, a passing grade in Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Biotechnology is now sufficient for eligibility. Biotechnology has also been officially recognized as a qualifying subject. The revised rule applies to admissions starting in 2025. The NEET exam remains a mandatory requirement for entry into Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) courses. This year, over 22 lakh students took the NEET 2025 exam, competing for more than 40,000 BAMS seats across 598 Ayurveda colleges in India. Rakesh Pandey, national spokesperson of AYUSH Medical Association, stated, "Thousands of students will benefit from this decision. NEET counseling is expected to proceed on time."
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
10-06-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Supreme Court sets aside Delhi HC order of disqualifying NCISMC chairperson
The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an order setting aside the appointment of the chairperson of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine holding him ineligible for office. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan issued notice to National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISMC) and others on the appeal filed by Vaidya Jayant Yeshwant Deopujari. Deopujari challenged the June 6 order of the Delhi High Court, which allowed two petitions against his appointment as the NCISMC chairperson. The commission's counsel informed the high court that the process of selection and appointment of the chairperson had commenced following which it directed the expeditious completion of the process. The high court also asked for its observations to be taken into account during the selection process. The petitions in the high court were filed by Ved Prakash Tyagi, former president of the erstwhile Central Council for Indian Medicine, and Dr Raghunandan Sharma. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had issued a circular on June 9, 2021 appointing Deopujari as the commission's chairperson. The petitioners alleged that Deopujari could not be appointed as the chairperson of the commission as he does not hold a postgraduate degree, mandated under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 (NCISM Act). The high court held Deopujari possessed a PhD degree whereas the requisite degree was MD or any other equivalent master's degree in any discipline of Indian System of Medicine. The PhD degree which was awarded to him by Pune University did not presuppose acquisition of lower qualification (Master's Degree in Ayurveda), it said. "We have no hesitation to hold that the expression 'Post-Graduate Degree' occurring in Section 4(2) of the NCISM Act, 2020 in the context it has been used would mean a Master's Degree (MD) in any discipline of Indian System of Medicine which the respondent does not possess and, therefore, he lacks the requisite qualification for being appointed to the office in question," the high court said. Deopujari, the high court noted, was admitted to the PhD course without undergoing the master's degree course, soon after graduating in Ayurveda (BAMS). The high court opined every degree awarded by an university after graduation couldn't be termed as "post-graduation qualification" for the reason that in the domain of higher education in our country "post graduate degree" acquired a special meaning and significance and post-graduate degree means a master's degree like MA, MSc, MD, LLM or MEd. The high court said the NCISM Act emphasised on the functions of the commission to maintain high quality and high standards of education in the Indian System of Medicine and, as a result, phrases such as "head of a department" and "head of an organisation" were to be understood and construed in the context in which Parliament passed the Act.


NDTV
10-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Supreme Court Pauses Delhi High Court Order Ousting Medicine System Head
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an order setting aside the appointment of the chairperson of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine holding him ineligible for office. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan issued notice to National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISMC) and others on the appeal filed by Vaidya Jayant Yeshwant Deopujari. Deopujari challenged the June 6 order of the Delhi High Court, which allowed two petitions against his appointment as the NCISMC chairperson. The commission's counsel informed the high court that the process of selection and appointment of the chairperson had commenced following which it directed the expeditious completion of the process. The high court also asked for its observations to be taken into account during the selection process. The petitions in the high court were filed by Ved Prakash Tyagi, former president of the erstwhile Central Council for Indian Medicine, and Dr Raghunandan Sharma. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had issued a circular on June 9, 2021 appointing Deopujari as the commission's chairperson. The petitioners alleged that Deopujari could not be appointed as the chairperson of the commission as he does not hold a postgraduate degree, mandated under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 (NCISM Act). The high court held Deopujari possessed a PhD degree whereas the requisite degree was MD or any other equivalent master's degree in any discipline of Indian System of Medicine. The PhD degree which was awarded to him by Pune University did not presuppose acquisition of lower qualification (Master's Degree in Ayurveda), it said. "We have no hesitation to hold that the expression 'Post-Graduate Degree' occurring in Section 4(2) of the NCISM Act, 2020 in the context it has been used would mean a Master's Degree (MD) in any discipline of Indian System of Medicine which the respondent does not possess and, therefore, he lacks the requisite qualification for being appointed to the office in question," the high court said. Deopujari, the high court noted, was admitted to the PhD course without undergoing the master's degree course, soon after graduating in Ayurveda (BAMS). The high court opined every degree awarded by an university after graduation couldn't be termed as "post-graduation qualification" for the reason that in the domain of higher education in our country "post graduate degree" acquired a special meaning and significance and post-graduate degree means a master's degree like MA, MSc, MD, LLM or MEd. The high court said the NCISM Act emphasised on the functions of the commission to maintain high quality and high standards of education in the Indian System of Medicine and, as a result, phrases such as "head of a department" and "head of an organisation" were to be understood and construed in the context in which Parliament passed the Act.


Time of India
09-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi HC Declares Appointment of Nagpur's Dr Jayant Deopujari as NCISM Chairperson Illegal
1 2 Nagpur: The Delhi high court declared the appointment of Nagpur's veteran Ayurveda practitioner Dr Jayant Deopujari as chairperson of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) illegal. The court ruled that Dr Deopujari did not meet the statutory eligibility criteria laid down under the NCISM Act, 2020. The judgment was delivered on June 6 by a division bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and justice Tushar Rao Gedela in response to petitions filed by two former Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) presidents, Dr Ved Prakash Tyagi and Dr Raghunandan Sharma. According to the NCISM Act, the chairperson of the commission must possess a postgraduate degree in any discipline of Indian Systems of Medicine from a recognised university and at least 20 years of experience, including 10 years in a leadership role in healthcare delivery, development, or education in Indian Systems of Medicine. The court found that Dr Deopujari holds a BAMS degree (Bachelor's in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and a PhD in Kayachikitsa, but no MD or equivalent postgraduate degree in Ayurveda. He directly pursued a PhD without undergoing a standard postgraduate course, which the court ruled does not qualify as a substitute for a postgraduate (MD) degree. His claimed 'leadership' experience, particularly his role in a private Ayurvedic pharmaceutical company (Shivayu Ayurved Ltd, Nagpur), did not align with the law's definition of leadership in healthcare delivery or education. The high court made it clear that a PhD, though a research qualification, cannot be equated with a postgraduate degree for the purpose of statutory eligibility. The bench noted that the role of the NCISM chairperson requires educational and administrative qualifications rooted in medical education, not merely private sector experience. In strong words, the court observed, "Every degree awarded after graduation cannot be termed a postgraduate degree... the expression has acquired a specific technical meaning in India's higher education context." The court also clarified that eligibility norms cannot be diluted, even if a search committee or selection body finds a candidate suitable. The verdict may have far-reaching implications for regulatory appointments in the AYUSH sector. It reinforces the importance of adhering to strict statutory qualifications in public appointments, especially in healthcare education. As of now, the NCISM and the Union ministry of AYUSH have not announced a replacement for Dr Deopujari or commented on whether they will challenge the decision. Dr Deopujari, a prominent figure from Nagpur in the field of Ayurveda, previously served as president of the now-defunct CCIM. His tenure as NCISM chairperson was challenged in 2021.


Time of India
07-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi HC sets aside appointment of NCISMC chairperson
New Delhi, The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside the appointment of the chairperson of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine holding him ineligible for office. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela allowed two petitions challenging the appointment of Vaidya Jayant Yeshwant Deopujari as the chairperson of the commission (NCISMC). "The writ petitions are allowed, and a writ of quo warranto quashing and setting aside the appointment of respondent 5 (Deopujari) as Chairperson of the Commission is issued," the bench held. The court was informed by the counsel for the commission that the process of selection and appointment of the chairperson had commenced. The court directed the expeditious completion of the process and said at the time of conducting the selection process, its observations ought to be taken into account. The court passed the order on two petitions filed by Ved Prakash Tyagi, former president of the erstwhile Central Council for Indian Medicine, and Dr Raghunandan Sharma. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had issued a circular on June 9, 2021 appointing Deopujari as the commission's chairperson. The petitioners have alleged that Deopujari could not be appointed as the chairperson of the commission as he does not hold a postgraduate degree, mandated under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 (NCISM Act). The high court held that Deopujari possessed a PhD degree whereas the requisite degree was MD or any other equivalent master's degree in any discipline of Indian System of Medicine. The PhD degree which was awarded to him by Pune University did not presuppose acquisition of lower qualification (Master's Degree in Ayurveda), it said. "We have no hesitation to hold that the expression 'Post-Graduate Degree' occurring in Section 4(2) of the NCISM Act, 2020 in the context it has been used would mean a Master's Degree (MD) in any discipline of Indian System of Medicine which the respondent does not possess and, therefore, he lacks the requisite qualification for being appointed to the office in question," the bench said. It said Deopujari was admitted to PhD course without undergoing the master's degree course immediately after obtaining his graduation degree in Ayurveda (BAMS). The court opined that every degree awarded by a university after graduation cannot be termed to be a "post-graduation qualification" for the reason that in the domain of higher education in our country "post graduate degree" has acquired a special meaning and significance and post-graduate degree means a master's degree like MA, MSc, MD, LLM or MEd. The court said the emphasis of the provisions of the NCISM Act on the functions of the commission are in relation to maintaining high quality and high standards of education in Indian System of Medicine and, accordingly, the phrases "head of a department" and "head of an organisation" were to be understood and construed in the context in which Parliament passed the Act. "Analysing the alleged experience of respondent 5 working in a company producing ayurvedic medicine and products, we are unable to agree with the submission made on behalf of the respondents that such an experience can be said to be an experience of working as a 'Leader' in the capacity of 'Head of a Department' or 'Head of an Organisation'," it said. The respondents said since the appointment of Deopujari was made on the recommendation of a high-powered search committee headed by the cabinet secretary of the Central government and comprised experts, any interference in this petition would amount to sitting in appeal over a decision of a body of experts, impermissible in law. The court, however, said the submission does not hold good as it is a case where the person concerned clearly lacked the essential eligibility qualification statutorily prescribed under the Act. Tyagi's plea said the commission was a governing body for all matters relating to education and regulation of Indian medicine in the country. "Thus, the interests of a large number of people/students/Indian medicine practitioners shall be adversely and severely affected if an ineligible person is allowed to continue as the chairperson of such a critical statutory body," he added. PTI