Chapter I PRELIMINARY

(1) There shall be established and constituted for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act, a council to be known as "The Himachal Pradesh Nurses Registration Council ". (2) The Council shall consist of the following members, namely:- (a) the Director of Medical Education, Himachal Pradesh; (b) eight members to be appointed by the State Government from amongst the persons specified in the Schedule, one of whom shall be the Nursing Superintendent of the hospitals training candidates for any of the examinations conducted by the Council; (c) two registered nurses to be elected by the nurses registered under the Act; (d) one registered senior-most health visitor; (e) one registered midwife to be elected by the midwives registered under the Act: Provided that, should the registered nurses or the registered health visitors or the registered midwives fail, after the occurrence of a vacancy or vacancies, to elect a member or members, within such period as the State Government may by rules prescribe, the State Government may fill such vacancy or vacancies by the appointment of a registered nurse, registered health visitor, or registered midwife, as the case may be: Provided further that the State Government may appoint to the Council members as referred to in clause (b) to (d) out of the persons who are eligible for registration in the registers and such persons shall hold office for such period as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify. (3) The Council shall be a body corporate with the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal and shall by the said name sue and be sued. (4) The Director of Medical Education, Himachal Pradesh, shall be the ex-officio President of the Council and the Vice-President shall be elected by name from amongst its members at the first meeting thereof. (5) Every election or appointment of a member of the Council shall be notified by the State Government in the Official Gazette. (6) Until the Council is established and constituted in accordance with the provisions of the preceding sub-sections, the State Government may constitute a Council consisting of eight members including the Director of Medical Education, Himachal Pradesh, to be appointed by the State Government and the Council so constituted shall, as from the commencement of this Act and for a period not exceeding three year from such commencement be deemed to be the Council established and constituted for the purpose of carrying out all the provisions of this Act and the provisions of sub-sections (3) and (4) shall apply to such a Council. The Himachal Pradesh Nurses Registration Council constituted vide the Himachal Pradesh Government notification No. 2-16/71-H&FP, dated 8.2.1979 published in the Rajpatra, Himachal Pradesh, dated the 24th February, 1979 shall be deemed to be and always to have been validly constituted for a period of two years with effect from the 1st day of August, 1978, i.e., the date of the commencement of the principal Act, irrespective of the fact that the term of the said Council was to expire on 1.8.1979 and all orders made, proceedings taken, appointments made, examinations conducted, licences, diplomas and certificates issued, registration and rules made and acts done by or in the name of the said Council after 1.8.1979 shall be deemed to be and always to have been validly made, taken, conducted, issued and done, as if the said Council has been duly constituted initially for a period two years.