New Delhi, Aug 20: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a new nationwide registration system that could allow doctors to practise across India with a single Unique Identification (UID) number, removing the need to obtain fresh registration when moving from one state to another.
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The proposal is part of the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified by the NMC on August 11.
Under the proposed framework, once a doctor is registered with a State Medical Council, the NMC’s Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) would issue a centrally generated UID. The number would connect the doctor’s details with the National Medical Register (NMR) and provide eligibility to practise medicine across all states and Union Territories.
The proposed NMR would serve as a central record of doctors’ registration details, licence status and disciplinary proceedings. Updates made by State Medical Councils would be automatically reflected in the national register, creating a more connected and transparent system.
Doctors would continue to receive their initial registration and licence from the relevant State Medical Council. The licence would be valid for five years, with provisions for renewal. Doctors whose applications are rejected would also have the right to appeal before the EMRB.
For doctors already registered in state or national records but without a UID, the NMC has proposed a one-time update exercise through the EMRB portal. No fee would be charged for obtaining the UID under this exercise.
The draft also includes provisions for foreign medical graduates who meet the prescribed eligibility requirements, including the required qualifying examination. Temporary registration has also been proposed for eligible foreign nationals pursuing postgraduate or super-speciality courses in India.
The system would continue to give State Medical Councils jurisdiction over professional misconduct, unethical conduct and medical negligence cases occurring within their respective areas. Any disciplinary action would be reflected in the national and relevant state registers.
The NMC has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders before the proposed regulations are finalised.
If implemented, the framework could make doctor mobility across India easier while creating a single, integrated system for medical registration, licensing and disciplinary records.