The Supreme Court has relieved Major General (Retd) S.P. Jhingan from the administrator's post of Medical Council of India (MCI) and restored the management of the council to its vice-president, Keshavan Kuttynayar and the executive committee.

The court also appointed a `watchdog' committee of four eminent doctors to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to monitor the appointment of inspectors and the process of grant of recognition to private medical colleges.

Delhi High Court had appointed Jhingon as Administrator last year, after it ordered the exit of MCI president Ketan Desai on account of corruption charges. Jhinga, in turn, moved the apex court seeking directions on how to proceed further.

The interim order to relieve the administrator was awarded by a SC Bench, comprising M.B. Shah and D.M. Dharmadhikari.

The Bench restored the management of the affairs of the Council to its vice-president, Keshavan Kuttynayar, and the executive committee. The committee consists of N. Rangabhashyan, P.N. Tandon, Bhabsali and S. Kantha.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, now repealed, with the main function of establishing uniform standards of higher qualifications in medicine and recognition of medical qualifications in India and abroad. In 1956, the old Act was repealed and a new one was enacted. This was further modified in 1964, 1993 and 2001.

The objectives of the Council are maintenance of uniform standards of medical education, both undergraduate and postgraduate, recommendation for recognition/de-recognition of medical qualifications of medical institutions of India or foreign countries, permanent registration/provisional registration of doctors with recognized medical qualifications and reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications.