Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947
No: 48 Dated: Dec, 31 1947
THE INDIAN NURSING COUNCIL ACT, 1947
ACT NO. 48 OF 1947
An Act to constitute an Indian Nursing Council.
WHEREAS it is expedient to constitute an Indian Nursing Council in order to establish a uniform standard of training for nurses, midwives and health visitors;
It is hereby enacted as follows:––
1. Short title, extent and commencement.––(1) This Act may be called the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force at once.
2. Interpretation.––In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,––
(a) “the Council” means the Council constituted under this Act;
(b) “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under section 16;”
(c) “State Council” means a Council (by whatever name called) constituted under the law of a State to regulate the registration of nurses, midwives or health visitors in the State;
(d) “State register” means a register of nurses, midwives or health visitors maintained under the law of a 5 State.
3. Constitution and composition of the Council.––(1) The Central Government shall, as soon as may be, constitute a Council consisting of the following members, namely:––
(a) one nurse enrolled in a State register elected by each State Council;
(b) two members elected from among themselves by the heads of institutions recognised by the Council for the purpose of this clause in which training is given––
(i) for obtaining a University degree in nursing; or
(ii) in respect of a post-certificate course in the teaching of nursing and in nursing administration;
(c) one member elected from among themselves by the heads of institutions in which health visitors are trained;
(d) one member elected by the Medical Council of India;
(e) one member elected by the Central Council of the Indian Medical Association;
(f) one member elected by the Council of the Trained Nurses Association of India;
(g) one midwife or auxiliary nurse-midwife enrolled in a State register, elected by each of the State Councils in the four groups of States mentioned below, each group of States being taken in rotation in the following order, namely:––
(i) Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and Haryana,
(ii) Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan,
(iii) Karnataka, Punjab Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal,
(iv) Assam, Gujarat Tamil Nadu and Orissa;
(h) the Director General of Health Services, ex officio;
(i) the Chief Principal Matron, Medical Directorate, General Headquarters, ex officio;
(j) the Chief Nursing Superintendent, office of the Director General of Health Services, ex officio;
(k) the Director of Maternity and Child Welfare, Indian Red Cross Society, ex officio;
(l) the Chief Administrative Medical Officer (by whatever name called) of each State other than a Union territory, ex officio;
(m) the Superintendent of Nursing services (by whatever name called), ex officio, from each of the States in the two groups mentioned below, each group of States being taken in rotation in the following order, namely:––
(i) Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh West Bengal and Haryana.
(ii) Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Orissa, Punjab and Rajasthan;
(n) four members nominated by the Central Government, of whom at least two shall be nurses, midwives or health visitors enrolled in 12State register and one shall be experienced educationalist;
(o) three members elected by Parliament, two by the House of the People from among its members and the other by the Council of States from among its members.
(2) The President of the Council shall be elected by the members of the Council from among themselves: Provided that for five years from the first constitution of the Council the President shall be a person nominated from amongst the members of the Council by the Central Government, who shall hold office during the pleasure of the Central Government.
(3) No act done by the Council shall be questioned on the ground merely of the existence of any vacancy in, or any defect in the constitution of, the Council.