Indian Nursing Council

The Indian Nursing Council serves as the primary national regulatory authority overseeing nursing and nurse education in India. Operating as an independent entity under the jurisdiction of the Government of India, specifically the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, it was established by the Central Government through the Indian Nursing Council Act of 1947, a parliamentary legislation (Section 3(1)). The fundamental objective of this council, as mandated by the original act, is to ensure consistency and standardization in nursing education.

Section 10.1 deals with the acknowledgment of nursing qualifications in India.

Section 10.2 pertains to the issuance of qualifications encompassing general nursing, midwifery, health visiting, or public health nursing.

Section 10.3 empowers the Indian Nursing Council to engage in discussions with authorities, either within India's non-encompassed regions or in foreign countries, which are entrusted with maintaining registries of nurses, midwives, or health visitors. The purpose of these negotiations is to establish a mutual agreement for recognizing nursing qualifications.

Section 12 provides the Indian Nursing Council with the authority to request information regarding the curricula, training programs, and examination procedures of nursing courses. It also grants the council the right to inspect institutions recognized as training facilities and to observe examinations conducted for the purpose of awarding recognized qualifications or higher qualifications in India.