Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed The Gujarat Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, aimed at streamlining the registration process for Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners and updating terminology in accordance with central legislation.

Presenting the Bill in the House, Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said the primary objective of the law is to regulate the registration of Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners in Gujarat and maintain the state register of such doctors.

He explained that under the Gujarat Medical Practitioners Act, 1963, graduates in Ayurveda and Unani systems are required to obtain registration with the Gujarat Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicine to practice legally in the state. Practicing without registration is considered an offence under Section 30 of the Act.

As per Section 3 of the Act, a Board is constituted for a five-year term with 11 members—four nominated by the state government and seven elected, Patel noted.

The Minister further stated that with the enactment of the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine Act, 2020 (NCISM Act, 2020), the term “Board” is reserved for four national-level boards constituted under the central government.

Accordingly, the amendment introduces the definition of “Council” under Section 2 of the 1963 Act and proposes replacing the word “Board” with “Council” wherever it appears, except in Sections 2 and 40.

Patel added that once the amendment comes into force, the Gujarat Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicine will be renamed the Gujarat Council of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicine. DeshGujarat