NEW DELHI: An Indian state has rebelled against a federal health law which wrenches out the state government's control over highly lucrative sector of medical education and its regulation. The proposed National Commission for Human Resources for Health bill (NCHRH), which is being considered by the central government is now threatening to take a controversial turn. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha has placed on record her strong objections to such a move and has now demanded a status quo. “The new Bill effectively puts the leadership and decision making process with regard to medical, dental and paramedical education in the hands of about twenty five persons, all of whom are nominees of the Central Government. This undermines the powers of the State Governments, which are left with no role to play in policy issues related to health manpower planning, curriculum and course design as well as approval of new institutions offering courses in medicine and allied disciplines,” the chief minister J Jayalalithaa said in her letter. The bill has presently been submitted to a special parliamentary committee – the standing committee on health and family welfare by the upper house of parliament the Rajya Sabha, which is studying the proposed legislation and is expected to suggest modifications. Jayalalitha has demanded that state governments be given adequate representation in policy making bodies in order to not upset the federal-state power equation. Earlier this year, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi had to face stiff Opposition from states on the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which many states had opposed saying it was draconian and did not take the states into confidence.
