Pune: The Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department has instructed the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to begin registering homeopathic doctors who have completed the one-year Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP), The Times of India has reported.
The state’s move comes while a case filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) challenging this decision is still pending in the Bombay High Court.
IMA Raises Strong Objection
Reacting to the directive, IMA Maharashtra Chapter President Dr. Santosh Kadam said the association’s legal team is reviewing the government’s circular. He stressed that issuing such a directive while the matter is sub judice was inappropriate and confirmed that the IMA would urge the court to expedite the case.
Homeopathy Council Welcomes the Decision
In contrast, the Maharashtra Homeopathy Council (MHC) welcomed the development, calling it a “victory of truth.” MHC administrator Bahubali Shah stated that the state’s Attorney General had supported their stance, and urged all CCMP-qualified homeopaths in Maharashtra to register.
Background of the CCMP Course
The CCMP program was launched in 2014 under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik, through a government resolution. The course provides homeopathic doctors with training in modern (allopathic) medicine to strengthen healthcare delivery.
In 2017, the government allowed homeopaths to register with MMC after completing CCMP, but the IMA strongly opposed the move, resulting in a legal challenge and a High Court stay order. While MMC had earlier planned to register 10,000–90,000 CCMP-qualified homeopaths, the process was suspended following IMA’s protests.
A seven-member committee was later formed to examine the issue, and the state sought the Advocate General’s opinion. The AG clarified that creating a separate register for CCMP-qualified homeopaths did not violate any existing court order, though final registration would remain subject to the High Court’s ruling.
Centre’s Position
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, also informed Parliament that Maharashtra permits homeopathic doctors who complete CCMP to prescribe allopathic medicines—but only to the extent covered under their training.
