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The logo of the National Medical Commission (NMC), with a colourful image of physician god Dhanvantri in the centre, has drawn criticism from doctors, with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) urging the the apex medical education regulator to take “corrective steps”.
“The logo of any national institution ought to capture the aspirations of all our citizens in an equal manner and by remaining neutral in all respects thereby eliminating any possibility of any part or section of the society feeling aggrieved in any manner,” the IMA said in a letter.
Officials from the NMC, however, maintained that the image of Dhanvantri had always been a part of its logo, albeit as a dark silhouette. The new logo colourises the image, while also replacing the word ‘India’ with ‘Bharat’.
Why are doctors opposing the new logo?
Once the changes to the logo were highlighted last month, the IMA said it went against the “fundamental values” of doctors. Dr Sharad Agarwal, president of IMA, said: “Doctors take an oath to treat everyone irrespective of their caste, class, or religion. Why then should the logo of an institute that governs training of doctors have any religious connection?”
He added that while doctors can follow their faith at home, institutions must not do so. “Creating controversies is not the job of NMC, they should focus on improving the quality of medical education in the country,” he said.
“The IMA calls upon the NMC to take corrective steps to adopt a logo which does not contradict the oath and duty of doctors towards all our citizens with complete neutrality, especially in shunning any attempt to connect or identify an institution such as NMC with any particular religion.”
With Dhanvantri considered to be the god of Ayurveda and medicine, officials from the NMC said it was an appropriate addition to the logo for a medical body. An official said: “If the logo for doctors can be Caduceus — the staff surrounded by two serpents — that is entrenched in Greek mythology, why can’t we use symbols from our own mythology?”
Officials from both NMC and the Union health ministry emphasised that Dhanvantri has always been part of the logo. However, even the old logo was adopted only in 2022. The National Medical Commission took over from the former Medical Council of India in 2020. The logo was first approved in 2022, according to officials.
So why did doctors protest only after the change?
Dr Agarwal said the IMA took action as soon as the issue was highlighted. “The NMC has been asking why doctors are objecting only now when the logo always had the image of Dhanvantri. But clearly, the image was not prominently visible even to them, which is why they chose to colour and highlight it,” he said.
Is this the first time doctors have raised such concerns?
There were similar protests from doctors when the NMC introduced the “Charak Shapath” as part of undergraduate medical training last year. While it was initially thought that the Shapath would replace the doctor’s oath — which essentially says doctors should treat everyone and do no harm — the NMC later said the Charak Shapth would be taken at the beginning of the course and the doctor’s oath when the students graduate.
Mandatory inclusion of yoga as part of medical curriculum last year also faced similar resistance.
