Nimhans Bill introduced in RS

Once cleared, the institution will be on a par with AIIMS

Once the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Bill 2010, gets Parliament nod, it will enjoy similar recognition on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi; Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh; and Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Education and Research, Puducherry.

The Bill would empower  Nimhans an academic autonomy to develop its own curriculum, set new trends in mental health and neuro sciences, award its own degrees besides allowing it to have an appropriate administrative and financial powers.

“The conferring of statutory status on this institute will enable it to grow into a model centre of excellence,” said Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, while introducing the Bill.

Defining the functions of the institute, the Bill said it might provide for an undergraduate and postgraduate courses in modern medicine and other allied sciences, including physical and biological sciences, provide facilities for research in the various branches of such sciences and conduct experiments in new methods of medical education in order to arrive at a high standard of such education.

Nimhans was set up as an autonomous body under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act in December 1974 by integrating the erstwhile All India Institute of Mental Health, Government of India, and Mental Hospital, Bangalore, under the Karnataka government.

Under the new legislation, the health minister will be its president, while director of the institute, director-general of health services (Government of India), vice-chancellor of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and the chief secretary of Karnataka will be ex-officio members besides secretaries of health, finance and human resource development at the Centre.

It will also have seven members nominated by the Centre, including a non-medical scientist, four representatives of medical faculties from universities nominated by the Centre and three members of Parliament. Now, the institute under the Ministry of Health has a budget of Rs 113.38 crore.