New Delhi, The National Medical Commission has proposed a centrally generated unique identification number for every registered medical practitioner, which would allow doctors to practise anywhere in the country without obtaining a fresh registration or licence.
If disciplinary action is recommended by a State Medical Council other than the council where the doctor is primarily registered, the action would be reflected in the National Medical Register and automatically updated in the state medical register of the council of primary registration. The UID would grant the practitioner registration in the National Medical Register and eligibility to practise medicine anywhere in India. The NMC has proposed that the NMR serve as a central repository of registration details of registered medical practitioners and disciplinary proceedings, including orders relating to suspension, removal and restoration issued by State Medical Councils, the EMRB or the NMC. It would also include the active or inactive status of a doctor’s licence and details of disciplinary action, if any. The licence to practise medicine would continue to be valid for five years. If a doctor does not apply for renewal within three months of expiry, the person’s entry in the State Medical Register would be converted to inactive and the doctor would not be entitled to practise medicine.
The proposal is part of the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2026, notified by the Commission on August 11.
The draft specifically states that the UID would be generated after registration in the state medical register, “thereby granting the practitioner, registration in NMR and eligibility to practice medicine anywhere in India”. The draft states that a doctor would be eligible to practise “in any State or Union Territory of India without requiring fresh registration and license to practice medicine in any other State or Union Territory” The council concerned would be able to implement the decision and reflect it against the doctor’s credentials in the online register.
