Board of Genetic Counseling (BGC) is the organization looking after the education, training and practicing of Genetic Counseling as a profession in India.
The BGC will certify Genetic Counselors, accredit courses and institutions for training Genetic Counselors, as well as provide continuous education to upgrade knowledge in the rapidly evolving field of Genetics and Genomics.
According to WHO - Genetic counseling is the process through which knowledge about the genetic aspects of illnesses is shared by trained professionals with those who are having a heritable disorder, or are at an increased risk of getting a disorder/disease or of passing it on to their unborn offspring. A genetic counselor provides information on the inheritance of illnesses and their recurrence risks; addresses the concerns of patients, their families, and their healthcare providers; and supports patients and their families in dealing with these illnesses.
Technological advancements in genetics has led to a major role of genetic counseling in healthcare in many developed countries. Currently, its potential is being realized in the other countries; however due to a scarcity of trained genetic counselors, their duties are being carried out by other healthcare professionals without formal specialization in the field of Genetics.
The Board will have the following responsibilities: