MUMBAI, April 14 -- In a significant move, the Maharashtra government has decided to scrap the election process for the executive body of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), responsible for the registration and regulation of medical professionals in the state. The members will now be directly nominated. To enable this change, the government has decided to amend the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965. It is likely to promulgate an ordinance to bring in changes in the act from now on. The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting on Monday. Elections to the MMC were scheduled to be held on April 26 following a Supreme Court directive in January. The last election was conducted in 2016, and the body has been functioning under a state-appointed administrator since 2022. Doctors associated with the MMC have strongly opposed the move, alleging that the government is trying to take control of the body which is directly related to the medical fraternity. Dr Shiv Kumar Utture, former president of the MMC, said they were likely to approach the court. "In a democracy, it is absolutely clear that you have to have an election," he said. "I am also surprised at the timing of the decision, as the Supreme Court just three months ago directed that the long-pending MMC elections be held." Dr Utture said that after the Medical Council of India faced allegations of corruption, the central government replaced it with the National Medical Commission but that was found to be even more corrupt. "In our case, nothing of the sort has happened," he said. "In fact, what our council was doing in Maharashtra was emulated by councils in other states." A release issued by the chief minister's office on Monday said that the state cabinet had approved the amendment of the MMC Act and the appointment of MMC members by a nomination process instead of elections. It added that the government had formed a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the department of medical education and research to suggest changes. The committee, which included experts from the medical field such as Dr Anand Bang, Dr Kailash Sharma and Dr Vikas Mahatme, studied the structure of medical councils in other states as well as the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and submitted its report. "Based on the recommendations, amendments will allow members of the MMC to be appointed through nomination instead of elections. These changes are expected to make the council more efficient, accountable, and dynamic in its functioning," said a senior official from the medical education and drugs department. "The council will have a balanced representation of experts and representatives from the medical education sector. The selection process for membership will be transparent and merit-based." The MMC earlier consisted of 18 members (nine elected members and another nine appointed by the government). The government has now decided to increase the members from 18 to 23, and scrapped elections for the posts....