NEW DELHI: National Nursing and Midwifery Commission will hereafter replace the Nursing Council that was hitherto regulating nursing-related services and education in the country. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill will repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, of 1947, with an aim to upend nursing education in India. Union health minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya tabled the Bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The new commission will have 29 members.

A NExT model exam will be conducted especially for foreign citizens who intend to secure the Nursing - Midwifery Licence. The bill also proposes a common procedure for admission to nursing degrees and PG.

Nurses' registry information will be made available online. Undergraduate and Midwifery Board, Assessment and Rating Board, and Ethics and Registration Board for registration and complaints will begin under the commission. There will also be an Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board and an Advisory Council to deal with complaints and concerns emanating from different states.

The National Dental Commission Bill was also introduced in Lok Sabha which seeks to repeal the Dentists Act, of 1948, and will set up the National Dental Commission (NMC). For foreign students to enroll as dentists in the country, an MBBS model national exit test will be conducted for final-year dental students. The Dental Commission will ensure quality research works in dental treatment and training including BDS.