NMC invites comments on draft amendment to registration of medical practitioners and license to practice medicine regulations

New Delhi: Issuing a draft notification proposing amendments to the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders till May 7, 2026.

The Commission informed that the proposed Regulations may be called the "Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine(Amendment), Regulations 2026."

It further clarified that the proposed changes will be considered after the expiry of 30 days from the date the Gazette copies are made available to the public, i.e., on April 7, 2026, and specifically called upon all stakeholders to send their objections and suggestions within the stipulated time period.

The gazette notification mentioned, "In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (zj), (zk) and (zl) of sub section (2) of section 57; of the National Medical Commission Act (30 of 2019), the National Medical Commission hereby makes the following draft Regulations to amend the 'Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023 namely',"

Under the proposed amendments, the Commission stated that in Regulation 2, after clause (a), a new clause (aa) defining AFMS will be inserted:

"Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS)”shall mean the integrated medical services of the Indian Armed Forces functioning under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, and responsible for providing medical care to serving armed forces personnel, veterans, their dependents and others as per mandate"

In Regulation 6, after clause (e), a proviso to Regulation 6 will be added stating:

"Provided that Medical practitioners commissioned or joined in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS)-

i. shall opt to be registered and licensed with one State Medical Council of their choice at the time of joining AFMS till the duration of service and authorized to practice in any State or Union Territory in Indiaby virtue of service obligations;

ii. shall, upon retirement or release from service, register withor transfer to theStateMedical Council where they intend to practice;"

In Regulation 7, after clause (iv), a proviso to Regulation 7 clause (iv) will be added stating:

"Provided that medical practitioners commissioned in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) shall register any additional medical qualification with the State Medical Council with which they are registered during the period of service, and such entry shall remain valid across all States and Union Territories for the duration of their service in AFMS."

In Regulation 8, after clause (iii), a proviso to Regulation 8 will be added as:

"Provided further that, notwithstanding anything contained in clause (i), the licence of the medical practitioners serving in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), shall not be rendered inactive solely on account of non-submission of the renewal application within the prescribed time and the AFMS shall furnish the details of commissioned medical practitioners along with renewal applications, wherever applicable, to the concerned State Medical Council on annual basis and provide the record to National Medical Commission."

In Regulation 9, after clause (v), a new clause (vi) will be added as:

"The provisions relating to transfer of licence to practice shall not apply to medical practitioners serving in the Armed Forces Medical Services during the period of their service, and such practitioners shall be deemed to be authorized to practice across all States and Union Territories by virtue of their service obligations".

After Regulation 10, a new Regulation 10A is proposed:

"10A. Jurisdiction in case of alleged professional misconduct by medical practitioners serving in Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS)— (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in these Regulations, where an allegation of professional misconduct or medical negligence is made against a medical practitioner serving in the Armed Forces Medical Services, the State Medical Council with which the practitioner is registered shall have the jurisdiction to decide the matter upon the recommendation of the State Medical Council within whose territorial jurisdiction the cause of action arose.

(2) Where such alleged misconduct occurs in a State other than the State of registration, the State Medical Council of the place of occurrence may receive the complaint, inquire the matter and shall forward the report with its recommendation on the punishment, along with available records, to the State Medical Council of registration for appropriate action and the action taken thereon by the State Medical Council of registration shall be communicated by them to the State Medical Council of the place of occurrence and to the Ethics and Medical Registration Board.

(3) Nothing in this regulation shall preclude disciplinary or administrative action under applicable Armed Forces service laws."

Call for Feedback

The Commission noted that the original Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023 were notified on May 12, 2023, in the Gazette of India.

The present draft amendments covering changes in Regulations 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9, along with the insertion of a new Regulation 10A, have been approved by the competent authority after following due procedure.

"The draft regulation amending the regulation in 2, 6, 7,8, 9, inserted 10A, have been prepared and approved by the competent authority following due procedure and is hereby published for information of all stakeholders likely to be affected thereby and notice is hereby given that the said draft Regulation (amendment) shall be taken into consideration on or after the expiry of a period of thirty (30) days from the date on which the copies of the Gazette of India containing these draft Regulation (amendment) are made available to public," mentioned the gazette.

The notification further added, "Objections and suggestions which may be received from any person within the period specified above will be considered by the National Medical Commission. Objections and suggestions if any, may be addressed to the Deputy Secretary (Reg-EMRB), NMC, and sent by email in the prescribed format... The objections and suggestions be sent only on the above e-mail ID and the objections/suggestions received in any other means i.e physical or through other modes will not be entertained. The draft notification will be available on National Medical Commission’s website:,"

To view the official gazette, click on the link below:

Also read- NMC draft amendment proposes single state registration for AFMS doctors