BILL
further to amend the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventieth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
1. Short title and commencement.
(1) This Act may be called the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2019.
(2) It shall come into force on the 2nd day of March, 2019.
2. Amendment of section 3A.
In section 3A of the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973, in sub-section (2), for the words “within a period of one year”, the words “within a period of two years” shall be substituted.
3. Repeal and savings.
(1) The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 is hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973, as amended by the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of the said Act as amended by this Act.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
The Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 (59 of 1973) was enacted to provide for the constitution of a Central Council of Homoeopathy to deal with the education and practice of Homoeopathy. In order to ensure transparency and to improve the quality and functioning of the colleges governed under the said Act, the Central Government has initiated certain important steps including promoting the use of information technology in colleges. The Central Council of Homoeopathy had failed in its responsibilities and not cooperated wilfully with the Central Government in carrying out its duties in the manner that is required to safeguard the standard of education and practice of Homoeopathy system of medicine. Therefore,the Central Council of Homoeopathy was superseded by promulgating the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 and the Board of Governors was constituted in its place on 18th May, 2018 for a period of one year or till a new Central Council of Homoeopathy was reconstituted. The said Ordinance was replaced by the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2018 (23 of 2018).
2. The Central Council of Homoeopathy could not be reconstituted within a period of one year as the State Registers of Homoeopathy were not updated for conducting elections to elect members to the Central Council of Homoeopathy. Further, with a view to supersede the Central Council of Homoeopathy and to repeal the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973, the Central Government had introduced the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha on 7th January, 2019, which was subsequently referred to the Department related-Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare. Therefore, the period of one year for reconstitution of the Central Council of Homoeopathy was required to be extended to two years so that the Board of Governors could continue to perform the functions of the Central Council of Homoeopathy.
3. As the Parliament was not in session and there was a need for urgent legislation in this regard, the President promulgated the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 (11 of 2019) on the 2nd day of March, 2019.
4. It is, therefore, proposed to introduce the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019, to replace the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 which, inter alia, provides for extending the period for reconstitution of the Central Council of Homoeopathy from one year to two years.
5. The Bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objectives.
NEW DELHI;
The 17th June, 2019.
SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK
