The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) plan to establish a National Medical Register (NMR) is facing renewed opposition from doctors, who have questioned the need for medical practitioners to apply and pay a separate fee when their registration and professional details are already available with State Medical Councils.
The issue has gained significance as the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the NMC moves to amend the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2026. Doctors argue that the proposed process could create unnecessary duplication, financial burden and delays.
NMR Envisaged as Single National Database
The NMR is intended to serve as a single national database of registered medical practitioners, allowing authorities and the public to verify doctors’ qualifications and registration status. It is also expected to facilitate doctors’ practice across State boundaries.
Under the proposed system, every doctor would receive a unique NMR identification number linked to their State registration number.
However, doctors have raised questions over how the database should be populated. The key issue is whether State Medical Councils should transfer their verified databases to the EMRB, or whether individual doctors should be required to apply afresh and undergo another verification process.
Doctors Cite NMC Act Provisions
Doctors opposing the proposed process have pointed to the NMC Act, 2019, particularly Sections 31(1), 31(6) and 31(7). They argue that the law already assigns responsibility to the EMRB for maintaining the National Register and electronically synchronising it with State Registers.
Kannur-based doctor and RTI activist K.V. Babu said the NMC Act does not specifically require registered medical practitioners to individually apply for NMR registration.
He also pointed to a written reply given by the Union Health Ministry in the Lok Sabha on August 5, 2025, which, quoting the NMC, stated that applying for NMR registration was voluntary.
State Medical Council Data Could Be Used
Doctors argue that the NMR should be created using the verified information already maintained by State Medical Councils, rather than requiring every doctor to undergo registration and credential verification again.
M.N. Menon, State President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kerala, questioned why doctors should repeat the registration process when their details are already available with the State Medical Councils.
According to doctors, the State Councils could transfer their databases to the EMRB, which could then create the national database and issue unique identification numbers.
Registration Backlog Raises Concerns
The proposed individual registration process has also raised concerns because several applications for NMR registration are reportedly still pending with the EMRB.
The backlog has prompted questions over whether the system would be able to efficiently process applications from all registered doctors if individual registration becomes the norm.
Minutes of the 17th NMC meeting reportedly showed that fewer than 32,000 registered medical practitioners had applied for NMR registration by December 2025, highlighting the limited uptake so far.
Doctors Raise Fee Concerns
The proposed NMR registration has also become a financial issue for doctors.
Medical practitioners already pay registration and licensing-related charges to their respective State Medical Councils. Doctors argue that imposing another registration fee for the NMR would add to their financial burden.
Babu said the proposed fee would amount to an additional charge when the required registration data is already available with State authorities.
Doctors Seek Withdrawal of Draft Amendment
Doctors have now demanded that the NMC withdraw the proposed draft amendment and direct State Medical Councils to provide their existing databases to the EMRB.
They want the NMR to be created through data integration and electronic synchronisation of State Registers, rather than requiring individual doctors to register again, pay another fee and wait for credential verification.
