Govt says status of Acupuncture panel cloudy

Rumi F. Beramji

Mumbai: In a significant development, the Maharashtra government said it has put on hold the long-overdue elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA), citing an administrative battle with the Centre on the status of the MCA that promotes this ancient Chinese medical system.

The tussle is over whether acupuncture should remain an independent medical system in Maharashtra or come under the national regulatory framework for allied and healthcare professions, sources in the acupuncture field said.

In a communication (June 30, 2026), the Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) said conducting the MCA elections at this stage would be “inappropriate” until the Centre takes a decision on Maharashtra’s demand to yank off acupuncture from the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021.

The letter sparked speculation and a potential regulatory crisis as Maharashtra already has a statutory framework for Acupuncture under the ‘Maharashtra Acupuncture Medical Treatment Act, 2015’, under which the MCA was established.

However, a central notification of September 26, 2024 brought “Acupuncture Professionals 2230, 3230” within the ambit of Schedule of the NCAHP Act, 2021, placing the profession within the national allied and healthcare professions framework.

On Jan. 14, 2025, the state government wrote to the Union Health Ministry seeking ‘exclusion’ from the NCAHP Schedule national framework on the ground that acupuncture is “an independent medical system”.

The Centre, however, replied on February 25, 2025, that the NCAHP Act contains “no provision for creating a separate independent council” or “merging an existing council into the State Allied and Healthcare Council” for professions included in the Act’s Schedule.

Maharashtra stuck to its stand and in Nov. 12, 2025, urged the Centre to consider its request to remove acupuncture from the NCAHP framework and retain the independent character of the Maharashtra Acupuncture Medical Treatment Act, 2015.

Nearly 11 months down, Maharashtra is still waiting for the Centre’s response, keeping the issue hanging and affecting the functioning of the MCA, said its June 30 letter.

The state has chosen to keep the matter of MCA elections on hold until this decision is taken, arguing it would not be appropriate. Till then the MCA will continue to be run by an Administrator, Dr. Rumi F. Beramji, whose appointment to the post was extended Dec. 8, 2025 for one year.