1.How many of each are legally permitted under the AP Medical Council Act and where disputes usually arise.
Here’s what the Andhra Pradesh Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1968 legally specifies about council composition:
Mandatory members under the Act:
✅ Elected by practitioners: 13 members elected by registered medical practitioners.
✅ Elected by university council: 2 members elected by the Executive Council of the State Health Sciences University.
✅ Government-nominated members: 6 members nominated by the State Government (including 2 from teaching staff of medical colleges).
✅ Ex-officio members: Director of Medical Education, Director of Health & Family Welfare, Commissioner of A.P. Vaidya Vidhana Parishad, and Vice-Chancellor of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences (these are government officials included by statute).
Key points where disputes arise:
• Only the government-nominated six members are explicitly allowed under the Act; any additional nominations beyond this (e.g., extra bureaucrats) can be challenged as unlawful expansion.
• Election of the 13 practitioner representatives has been pending for years, leading to interim councils and legal pushback.
• Confusion often arises over whether additional independent “co-opted” seats are permitted — the Act does not provide for separate co-opted members beyond the categories above; any such appointments are usually contested.
In brief:
Nominated by government: 6 statutory nominees
Elected by peers: 13
University-elected: 2
Ex-officio officials: 4 fixed by law
Attempts to add beyond this statutory composition are frequent sources of legal and professional disputes.
2. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COOPTED AND NOMINATED MEMBERS OF AP MEDICAL COUNCIL?
In the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC), “co-opted” and “nominated” members are not the same.
Nominated members
Who appoints: State Government
How: Direct appointment through notification
Purpose: To represent government, public interest, or specific expertise
Authority: Statutory, explicitly provided in the Act
Accountability: To the Government
Voting rights: Yes (unless restricted by rules)
Co-opted members
Who selects: The Council itself (existing members)
How: By resolution of the Council
Purpose: To add special expertise or representation not otherwise available
Authority: Limited and conditional, only if the Act/Rules permit
Accountability: To the Council
Voting rights: Often restricted or advisory (depends on rules)
In short
Nominated = Government’s choice
Co-opted = Council’s choice
Nominated members carry stronger statutory backing than co-opted members.
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