A reworked version of the National Medical Commission's logo featuring the image of Hindu deity Dhanwantari has drawn strong reactions from members of the medical fraternity, with many calling it 'unsecular'.
The new logo consisting of an image of Dhanwantari, a Hindu God associated with Ayurveda, and the word 'Bharat' instead of 'India', has reportedly been in use for a year, and has now only been revamped to make the image clearer, according to officials.
"Earlier, it was in black and white and, therefore, not visible in printouts. We have simply used a colour photo in the centre of the logo," an NMC official was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
However, there has been no official notification announcing the change. It came to public notice recently when the logo was featured online on the NCM's social media posts.
'Entirely Objectionable'
The 'revamped' logo has received backlash from members of the medical fraternity. The Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Kerala chapter released a statement calling the NMC’s move "entirely objectionable."
The statement that called for the withdrawal of the logo, further read, "It is dangerous for an organisation that is supposed to function secularly, with a scientific temper, to use religious symbols on its logo. This decision is unacceptable to the modern scientific community, and the IMA demands that it be immediately withdrawn."
Others from the medical fraternity have also expressed their displeasure with the change online, with one doctor on X (formerly Twitter) saying, "What's more saddening is NMC logo now will have Ayurveda founder Dhanvantari a kind of alternative medicine pic in its logo for Modern medicine in India."
Dr Philip Abby, known online as TheLiverDoc, known for calling out 'alternate medicine' and unscientific processes in Ayurveda and herbal treatments, also put out a strongly worded post criticising the move, saying, "If the NMC Members in charge of this abomination has some shame, they'll change the logo to a more secular one...one that does not embrace pseudoscientific beliefs, driven by religion and faith, but by science and rationality."
Others have expressed apprehensions that the move may be another rung in a possible ladder to "introduce Hindutva in medical education."
On the other hand, some have praised the move, pointing out the international symbol associated with medicine, also used on the WHO's emblem is also a religious symbol (Rod of Asclepius - the Greek God of Healing).
This isn't the first time the NMC has come under criticism for making drastic changes.
In February last year the NMC received flack for several purported changes in the medical college curriculum, including replacing the Hippocratic Oath with what has been termed as the “Charak Shapath”.
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