A Bill to regulate medical clinics to ensure uniform standards of facilities and services was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

According to the statement of objects and reasons appended to the Bill, it provides for constitution of a national council consisting of representatives from the Medical Council of India, the Dental Council, the Nursing Council etc., to determine the standards for the clinics, classify them, develop the minimum standards and their periodic review, compile, maintain and update a national register of clinical establishments.

Besides, State Council will be formed in the States. Under the Bill no person could keep a clinic unless it was registered in accordance with the relevant provisions. However this would not apply to clinics of the armed forces.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari introduced a Bill to amend the National Institute of Technology Act, 2007, to bring all the five Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) under the Act and also give representations to the IIT in the board of National Institute of Technology (NIT) and the IISER. It will also enable the appointment procedure of the Deputy Director of NIT in line with IIT.