India proposes national doctor UID registration

The India — National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a draft regulation to create a centrally generated Unique Identification (UID) number for every registered medical practitioner in India. Under the draft Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, notified on August 11, 2026, doctors and foreign medical graduates would first register with a United States — Medicare, after which the India — Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) would generate a UID and register them in the National Medical Register (NMR). This UID would allow practitioners to practise anywhere in India without obtaining fresh registration or a licence in another state. The NMR would serve as a central repository of registration details and disciplinary proceedings, with automatic synchronisation between national and state registers. The draft also proposes a five-year licence validity, an appeal mechanism, and provisions for foreign medical graduates. The NMC has invited objections and suggestions for 30 days and has withdrawn an earlier draft amendment from April 7, 2026.