Chapter VI RECOGNITION OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY QUALIFICATIONS

1. (1) Every nursing and midwifery qualification granted by any University or nursing and midwifery institution in India shall be listed and maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board in such manner as may be specified by regulations, and such nursing and midwifery qualification shall be a recognised nursing and midwifery qualification for the purposes of this Act.
2. (2) Every University or nursing and midwifery institution in India which conducts any course for nursing or midwifery qualification, not included in the list maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board may apply to that Board for granting recognition to such qualification.
3. (3) The Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board shall examine the application for grant of recognition to an undergraduate or postgraduate or speciality or clinical nurse speciality or nurse practitioner course in all specialities of nursing and midwifery qualification within a period of six months, in such manner as may be specified by regulations.
4. (4) Where the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board decides to grant recognition to a nursing and midwifery qualification, it shall include such qualification in the list maintained by it and also specify the date of effect of such recognition.
5. (5) An institution or University aggrieved by the decision under sub-section (3) may, within sixty days from the communication of such decision, prefer an appeal to the National Commission and the National Commission shall, within a period of sixty days from the date of filing of such appeal, pass such orders as it thinks fit, after giving an opportunity of being heard.
6. (6) Where the National Commission decides not to grant recognition to the nursing and midwifery qualification or fails to take a decision within the specified period, the University or nursing and midwifery institution concerned may prefer a second appeal to the Central Government within a period of thirty days of the communication of such decision or after the lapse of specified period, as the case may be.
7. (7) All nursing and midwifery qualifications which have been recognised before the date of commencement of this Act and are included in the Part I and Part II of the Schedule to the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947 (48 of 1947), shall also be recognised nursing and midwifery qualifications for the purposes of this Act, and shall be listed and maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board in such manner as may be specified by regulations.
8. (8) If any authority within a State, being recognised by the State Government in consultation with the State Commission or any autonomous body, if any, for the purpose of granting any qualification, grants a qualification which is not recognised by the National Commission, then, such authority may apply to the National Commission to have such qualification recognised, and the National Commission may declare that such qualification, or such qualification only when granted after a specified date, shall be a recognised qualification for the purposes of this Act.
9. (9) Every State Government may, for the purposes of addressing or promoting public health nursing and midwifery practice in rural areas, take necessary measures to enhance the capacity of the nursing and midwifery professionals.

1. (1) Where an authority in any country outside India, which by the law of that country is entrusted with the recognition of nursing and midwifery qualifications in that country, makes an application to the National Commission for granting recognition to such nursing and midwifery qualification in India, the National Commission may, subject to such verification as it may deem necessary, either grant or refuse to grant recognition to that nursing and midwifery qualification: Provided that the National Commission shall give a reasonable opportunity of being heard to such authority before refusing to grant such recognition.
2. (2) The nursing and midwifery qualification, which is granted recognition by the National Commission under sub-section (1), shall be a recognised nursing and midwifery qualification for the purposes of this Act, and such qualification shall be listed and maintained by the National Commission in such manner as may be specified by regulations: Provided that practice by a person possessing such qualification shall be permitted in such manner as may be specified by regulations.
3. (3) Where the National Commission refuses to grant recognition to the nursing and midwifery qualification under sub-section (1), the authority concerned may prefer an appeal to the Central Government against such decision within a period of thirty days of communication thereof and the Central Government shall dispose of the appeal within a period of ninety days from the date of such appeal.
4. (4) The mutual recognition of the qualifications for reciprocal registration of nursing and idwifery professionals between two countries shall be done in such manner as may be specified by regulations.

1. (1) The nursing and midwifery qualifications granted by any statutory or other recognised body in India before the commencement of this Act shall be recognised as nursing and midwifery qualifications in such manner as may be specified by the National Commission for the purposes of this Act.
2. (2) The Central Government may, on the recommendation of the National Commission, and having regard to the objects of this Act, by notification, add to, or, as the case may be, omit any category of nursing and midwifery qualifications granted by a statutory or other body in India and on such addition, or as the case may be, omission, the nursing and midwifery qualifications granted by such statutory or other body in India shall be, or shall cease to be, recognised nursing and midwifery qualifications for the purposes of this Act.

1. (1) Where, upon receiving the recommendations or report from the Nursing and Midwifery Assessment and Rating Board under section 19, or from a State Commission or a State Government or otherwise, if the National Commission is of the opinion that--
   • (a) the courses of study and examination to be undergone in, or the proficiency required from candidates at any examination held by, a University or nursing and midwifery institution do not conform to the standards specified by the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board; or
   • (b) the standards and norms for infrastructure, faculty and quality of education in the nursing and midwifery institution, as determined by the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board are not adhered to by any University or nursing and midwifery institution, and such University or nursing and midwifery institution has failed to take necessary corrective action to maintain specified minimum standards, the National Commission may initiate action in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2).
2. (2) The National Commission shall, after making such further inquiry as it deems fit, and after holding consultations with the concerned State Government and the authority of the concerned University or nursing and midwifery institution, comes to the conclusion that the recognition granted to a nursing and midwifery qualification ought to be withdrawn, it may, by order, withdraw recognition granted to such qualification and direct the Nursing and Midwifery Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education Board to amend the entries against the University or nursing and midwifery institution concerned in the list maintained by that Board to the effect that the recognition granted to such nursing and midwifery qualification is withdrawn with effect from the date specified in that order.

Where the National Commission deems it necessary, it may, by an order published in the Official Gazette, direct that any nursing and midwifery qualification granted by a nursing and midwifery institution in a country outside India, after such date as may be specified in that order, shall be a recognised nursing and midwifery qualification for the purposes of this Act: Provided that before providing the recognition, the equivalence in terms of curriculum, practical training and number of years of course may be examined in such manner as may be specified by regulations: Provided further that practice by a person possessing such qualification shall be permitted in such manner as may be specified by regulations.

Where, after verification with the authority in any country outside India, the National Commission is of the opinion that a recognised nursing and midwifery qualification which is included in the list maintained by it is to be derecognised, it may, by order, derecognize such nursing and midwifery qualification and remove it from the list maintained by the National Commission with effect from the date of such order.