Health minister launches portal to grant recognition, NOC to nursing institutes

Patna: Health minister Mangal Pandey on Wednesday launched a digital platform for granting recognition and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to nursing institutions in Bihar, marking a shift to a fully online and transparent approval process.

Launching the portal, Pandey said the entire recognition process for nursing institutions—including applications, inspections and approvals—will now be completed digitally. On the occasion, NOCs and affiliation certificates were issued to five institutions—three ANM, one GNM and one BSc Nursing—through the new system.

Calling it a “historic day” for the state’s health sector, Pandey said the initiative would strengthen and streamline healthcare services. “This digital platform is a new revolution in the health sector. It will ensure transparency, efficiency and quality, and help produce qualified nursing staff to provide better patient care,” he said.

The minister said that under CM Nitish Kumar’s leadership and the Saat Nishchay-2 programme, focus has been laid on expanding nursing education. “A decade ago, opportunities were limited, but today Bihar has 656 govt and private ANM, GNM, BSc and MSc nursing institutions with 41,065 sanctioned seats,” he added.

Pandey said the portal has two key objectives—facilitating digital NOC applications for new institutions and enabling existing institutions to apply online for seat enhancement or upgradation—while ensuring quality standards.

Health department secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said all manual processes have been eliminated. “The new system provides a fully digital, time-bound mechanism covering applications, inspections and approvals, with fixed timelines—seven days at each scrutiny level and 30 days for inspections. All approvals will be issued digitally, ensuring transparency and uniform standards for all institutions,” he said.

Singh added that the system would enhance transparency and quality control in nursing education across the state.