National Medical Register ID registration voluntary, says Union Minister Anupriya Patel

In a relief to doctors across the country protesting against the cumbersome registration process with the National Medical Register (NMR), Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel informed the Lok Sabha recently that application for issuance of an NMR Identification (ID) is voluntary.

She was responding to a question from MP Aditya Yadav on whether the government had taken cognisance of the fact that, as of May 1, 2025, less than 1% of doctors had registered with the NMR eight months after its launch.

The NMR is a centralised database of registered medical practitioners in modern medicine, maintained by the National Medical Commission (NMC). It contains information on each practitioner, including qualification, area of specialisation (in process), registration status, and date of registration, and assigns a unique identification number called the NMR ID.

Launched in August 2024 under Section 31 of the NMC Act, 2019, the register was introduced as a mandatory exercise for all registered medical practitioners. It aims to eliminate duplication and enable the public to access information on any doctor working in India.

Each doctor’s record is linked to their Aadhaar ID for verification, with some data made public while sensitive information is restricted to specified individuals and institutions. State Medical Councils (SMCs) are responsible for verifying degrees and facilitating the process, with the portal dynamically updated for transparency and governance.

Explaining the process, Ms. Patel said that under the Standing Operating Procedure (SOP), an applicant applies through the NMR portal. The application is first sent to the SMC where the doctor was initially registered, and after credential verification, it is forwarded to the NMC. Following further checks, the NMR ID is generated. She added that the NMC has written to all SMCs to “put in extra efforts” to complete the registration.

As per NMC data, there are 13,86,150 registered allopathic doctors in India. According to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the NMC had received 10,411 applications till April 24 this year. The RTI reply, dated April 29, stated that 10,237 applications had not been approved, including 139 in which queries had been raised.