The story so far: The allopathic medical bodies, including the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), continue to protest on the second day, August 6, 2026, as there has been no response to their demands concerning the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) registration for Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) qualified BHMS practitioners.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has taken cognisance of the doctors’ protest on Thursday (August 6, 2026). It has directed protesting doctors to call off their strike immediately and resume work, assuring that the protesters’ perspective will be heard but ordered the strike to be withdrawn without delay.
What was the government’s controversial decision?
The issue flared after a government resolution (GR) on Monday allowed homeopaths to practice modern medicine. The first registration was completed later that day.
“The government representatives met with us, but nothing materialised. No written assurance for our demands has been provided. However, the matter will be discussed with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” said BMC MARD president Dr. Rutuja Raut. At least 2,000 doctors across the State have participated in the protest.
On the second day, the doctors were only handling emergency services; all other services were withdrawn. The doctors have been protesting because they believe it will blur the distinction between allopathic and BHMS practitioners. They argue that a bridge degree of one year cannot be equated with the five-and-a-half years of rigorous MBBS training. The association has demanded the suspension of the MMC registration process for CCMP-qualified BHMS practitioners and requested that the decision be held until the High Court delivers its final judgment. In response, the doctors’ body, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has challenged the registration process before the Bombay High Court.
What is the stance of the fraternity?
In Mumbai, MARD-associated doctors continue to withdraw routine outpatient department (OPD) services. Following this, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), BMC hospitals — including KEM Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College & General Hospital (Sion), BYL Nair Hospital, and Dr. R. N. Cooper Hospital — along with others associated with MARD across Maharashtra, have also withdrawn from OPD services.
Dr. Suyash Dhavane, who practices at Nagpur Government Medical Colleges, highlighted that CCMP cannot compete with the rigorous 5.5 years of MBBS training followed by postgraduate residency. This dilutes the standards of modern medicine and jeopardises patients’ healthcare.
Maharashtra’s doctors are no strangers to strikes. They have been protesting regularly over attacks on doctors, staff shortages, poor accommodation facilities, and the registration of homeopathy practitioners, which has become the latest flashpoint of the protest.
What lies at the centre of issue?
On August 3, the Medical Education Department issued a government resolution (GR) to constitute a six-member committee tasked with creating a regulatory framework for the registration of CCMP-qualified BHMS (Homeopathy) practitioners in a separate register of the MMC.
The GR indicates the committee will be chaired by Department of Medical Education and Research, Commissioner, with members from Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), the Directorate of AYUSH (Homeopathy), the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), the Maharashtra Council of Homeopathy, and MMC, which will define their scope of practice, medical negligence inquiry mechanism, and code of medical ethics.
On August 3, later in the day, Dr. Neha Pawar, a CCMP-qualified homeopathy practitioner, became the first to receive an MMC registration certificate from the council, which triggered the controversy on August 4.
BMC MARD warned that if the registration process is not halted within the next 24 hours, it will intensify its agitation and escalate the withdrawal of services through lawful and democratic means.
Was there a similar protest in 2025?
The CCMP-qualified BHMS practitioners’ issue has been a point of contention for almost a year. In September of last year, allopathic doctors’ associations across Maharashtra protested, demanding a stay on the September order that allowed homeopathy doctors with CCMP certificates to register with the MMC. This order permitted BHMS practitioners holding CCMP certificates from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences to prescribe specified allopathic medicines.
Before that, the MMC issued a similar notice on June 30, allowing registrations and prescribing allopathic medicines from July 15. However, this was retracted by the government after the IMA announced a one-day strike on July 11.
The conflict between the practice of homeopathy and allopathy was triggered after the State amended the Maharashtra Homoeopathic Practitioners’ Act and the Maharashtra Medical Council Act in 2014.
What are homeopathy practitioners saying?
The Maharashtra Council of Homoeopathy is seeking the implementation of the 2014 law, which grants them the right to register with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC)
“The state has over 33 colleges offering CCMP courses, with 17 of them being private colleges. According to Dr. Bahubali Shah, spokesperson for the Maharashtra Council of Homoeopathy, around 1,100 homeopathy doctors have registered but are waiting for approval.”
Published - August 06, 2026 03:25 pm IST