Srinagar, Aug 20: In a significant move, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a change in the licensing system for medical practitioners, under which doctors could practise in any State or Union Territory across India without obtaining a separate licence in each state.
The proposal is part of the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, published by the NMC’s Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB).
The draft proposes that once a medical practitioner is registered with a State Medical Council and is allotted a Unique Identification (UID) number in the National Medical Register (NMR), the practitioner would become eligible to practise medicine anywhere in India.
Under the proposed system, doctors would apply for registration and a licence through a unified registration portal of the EMRB. The concerned State Medical Council would examine the application and, after approval, the details would be reflected in both the State Medical Register and the NMR. The UID would incorporate the relevant State/UT code and State Medical Register number.
The draft specifically states that after registration and grant of the licence by a State Medical Council and allotment of the UID by the EMRB, a medical practitioner would be eligible to practise in any State or Union Territory without requiring fresh registration or a new licence in another state.
The proposed National Medical Register would also function as a central repository containing registration details and information about disciplinary proceedings, including suspension, removal and restoration orders issued by State Medical Councils, the EMRB or NMC. The NMC and EMRB would also be empowered to monitor State Medical Councils to promote uniformity, transparency and effective regulation across the country.
The draft retains a five-year validity for the licence. Doctors would have to apply for renewal through the concerned State Medical Council, and if renewal is not sought within three months after expiry, the practitioner’s status would be changed to inactive and the person would not be entitled to practise medicine. The inactive status would automatically be reflected in the National Medical Register.
The proposal also lays down jurisdiction for cases of alleged professional misconduct, unethical conduct or medical negligence. Such cases would be investigated and decided by the State Medical Council within whose territorial jurisdiction the cause of action arose, with the decision reflected in the online credentials of the concerned practitioner.
The NMC has also proposed that existing doctors without an NMR UID would be required to update their details through the EMRB portal within a stipulated period and obtain the UID as a one-time measure, without any fee being charged by the EMRB for the update.
The regulations are presently in draft form. The NMC said the proposed amendments would be considered after the expiry of 30 days from the date the draft Gazette notification was made available to the public, allowing stakeholders to submit objections and suggestions.
