The Centre on Monday defended the change in the National Medical Commission’s logo to feature Dhanwantari — the physicians of the Gods in Hindu mythology — instead of a secular emblem, saying it was part of India’s heritage and everyone must feel proud of it.
When the TMC’s Santanu Sen raised the issue of the change in the logo through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Dhanwantari is a symbol of Indian medical science.
“(It was) already a part of the (Commission’s) logo and just some colour has been added and nothing more,” he said. “This is India’s heritage. I feel we should feel proud (about it),” he added.
The Centre on Monday defended the change in the National Medical Commission’s logo to feature Dhanwantari — the physicians of the Gods in Hindu mythology — instead of a secular emblem, saying it was part of India’s heritage and everyone must feel proud of it.
When the TMC’s Santanu Sen raised the issue of the change in the logo through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Dhanwantari is a symbol of Indian medical science.
“(It was) already a part of the (Commission’s) logo and just some colour has been added and nothing more,” he said. “This is India’s heritage. I feel we should feel proud (about it),” he added. The minister said the logo is designed by taking inspiration from the country’s heritage.
“This is a symbol of medical science … someone who had done so much research in medical science. We have used the photo with no other intention.” The Medical Council of India (MCI) logo was adopted in 1934 after the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, was enacted.
The law defined medicine as “modern scientific medicine and includes surgery and obstetrics” and the logo used was based on the international symbol for medicine — the staff of Aesclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing.
The logo also featured a snake wound around the staff.
While there has been no official announcement of a change in the Commission’s logo, a black and white logo with the depiction of Dhanwantari at the centre reportedly appeared in December 2022. The colourised version appeared a couple of months later.
Source: telegraphindia
