20/08/2026
NMC Proposes Nationwide Unique ID for Doctors
National Medical Commission (NMC) proposes a major change in medical registration
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a **centrally generated Unique Identification (UID) number for every registered medical practitioner**, potentially allowing doctors to practise anywhere in India without obtaining a fresh registration from another State Medical Council.
The proposal is included in the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified by the NMC on August 11, 2026.
What does the proposed system mean?
Under the draft framework:
• A doctor, including an eligible foreign medical graduate, would first be registered in the State Medical Register.
• Following State registration, the **Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the NMC** would centrally generate a Unique Identification (UID) number.
• The UID would provide registration in the **National Medical Register (NMR) and eligibility to practise medicine **anywhere in India.
• The NMR would serve as a central repository containing doctors' registration details, licence status and relevant disciplinary proceedings.
• The UID would incorporate the code of the concerned State/Union Territory along with the registration number assigned by the State Medical Register.
• The proposed system would synchronise the State Medical Registers and the National Medical Register so that changes in one register are automatically reflected in the other.
The NMR would also include information regarding **suspension, removal, restoration of registration and other disciplinary actions**, along with the active or inactive status of a doctor's licence.
Why is this significant?
If implemented, the proposed system could represent a major step towards **streamlining medical registration across India, reducing duplication in registration processes and making the professional status of registered doctors more easily verifiable nationwide.
Important: These provisions are currently part of a draft regulation and should not be considered the final law or regulatory framework until formally notified and implemented.
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