National commission for allied and healthcare professions, India appointed its interim committee on the 10th of June, 2022. NCAHP was established through an act of Indian parliament in March 2021. NCAHP is an umbrella council for 56 allied and healthcare disciplines in India. These disciplines have been clubbed into 19 groups for administrative convenience. Optometry is under ophthalmic sciences group. The other ophthalmic disciplines are ophthalmic assistant and vision technicians. Optometry has been accorded independent practice status and the other two disciplines have been placed in allied sector.

NCAHP will establish academic and practice norms in all the disciplines. In the academic area, norms for establishment of colleges, curriculum, infra structure, nomenclature of the academic programs and duration of the programs will be implemented. For practice standards regulations for – licensing exams, register of professionals, dos and don’ts in clinical practice, professional conduct norms and offences and penalties will be established.

Dr. Venkataramana Kalikivayi, HOD, Ahalia School of Optometry, Kerala and, Prof. Aditya Goyal, Principal, Sankara College of Optometry, Bangalore and Ludhiana have been appointed by the government of India as members of the committee for ophthalmic sciences group of NCAHP.