National Medical Register (NMR) ID – Current Status & Issues

Background

• NMR: Centralised database of registered medical practitioners in modern medicine.

• Maintained by: National Medical Commission (NMC).

• Legal basis: Section 31, NMC Act, 2019.

• Launch: August 2024.

• Purpose:

  • Eliminate duplication of doctor records.

  • Enable public access to verified doctor details (qualification, registration status, etc.).

  • Improve transparency & governance in healthcare.

Features

• Assigns unique NMR ID to each doctor.

• Linked to Aadhaar for identity verification.

• Public data limited to non-sensitive information; sensitive details restricted to authorised users.

• State Medical Councils (SMCs):

  • Verify degrees.

  • Forward verified applications to NMC.

• Portal dynamically updated.

Original Policy vs New Statement

• Initially: Mandatory for all registered doctors.

• August 2025: Union MoS for Health Anupriya Patel clarified in Lok Sabha that NMR ID registration is voluntary.

Process (as per SOP)

1. Doctor applies via NMR portal.

2. Application sent to SMC of initial registration.

3. SMC verifies credentials → forwards to NMC.

4. NMC conducts checks → generates NMR ID.

Data & Uptake

• Total registered allopathic doctors: 13,86,150.

• Applications received (till April 24, 2025): 10,411 (~0.75% of total).

• Not approved: 10,237 (including 139 pending query resolution).

Challenges 

• Cumbersome process for application & verification.

• Low adoption rate despite initial mandate.

• State councils asked to put in extra efforts to complete registrations.