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Maharashtra suspends registration of homeopathy practitioners with bridge course

Govt sets up panel to look into doctors' concerns

The IMA had also filed a writ in the Bombay High Court in February this year regarding the potential registration of homeopathic doctors with the MMC. (Credit: Pixabay)

The state government on Friday set up a committee to look into concerns flagged by doctors over a notification that allows homeopathy practitioners to get registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) once they complete the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).

After the state assured it will suspend the registration process and a government circular was issued to that effect, doctors with the Indian Medical Association withdrew their plan for a stir.

Dr Santosh Kadam, president, IMA, Maharashtra told The Indian Express that their contention was that if homoepathy practitioners are registered with the MMC after they complete the bridge course (CCMP), it would allow them to practice modern medicine.

Several organisations had protested against the government notification dated June 30, 2025 which had allowed homoepathy practitioners who had completed the bridge course to register with the MMC from July 15. Apart from the IMA, the Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors’ Association and other medical groups had questioned the government’s decision and supported the IMA’s move for a token strike.

The IMA had also filed a writ in the Bombay High Court in February this year regarding the potential registration of homeopathic doctors with the MMC.

Doctors had also protested the notificiation as they questioned whether a bridge course in modern pharmacology would equip homeopathy practitioners to prescribe allopathic drugs safely. Dr Kadam along with former MMC chairman Dr Shivkumar Uttare and other doctors met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis late on Thursday evening, following which a meeting was held Friday morning.

The CM had instructed Principal Secretary of Medical Education, Goverment of maharashtra, Dheeraj Kumar and MMC administrator Dr Vinky Rughwani to discuss the issue, following which a committee was set up that is chaired by the Commissioner of Medical Education and includes the registrar of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Maharashtra Homeopathy Council, Maharashtra Medical Council and others.

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Dr Rughwani told The Indian Express that the committee was instructed to submit a report within two months on the issue. “Till such time that they submit the report, the government has agreed to withdraw the notification,” Dr Rughwani added. According to the MMC circular, the registration of homeopathy practitoners holding the Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology is now suspended.

When contacted, Dr R S Indulkar, advisor to Maharashtra Homeopathy Council, told The Indian Express, that there was a certain logic as to why the bridge course was introduced. “There is a need for doctors in remote corners of the state. There is a paucity as most of the modern medicine doctors prefer to work in urban setups. By undergoing this CCMP course, the homeopathy practitioner upgrades his/her skill and is able to prescribe allopathic medicines.

Moroever, even in urban areas, a majority of hospitals have employed homeopathy doctors. Then why this dichotomy?” She asked.

Dr Bahubali Shah, administrator at Maharashtra Homeopathy Council ,has decided to go ahead with his hunger strike as a mark of protest.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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