Overview

• Union Minister Anupriya Patel told Parliament on August 9 that obtaining an NMR ID is voluntary, contradicting its mandatory launch under the NMC Act.
• Fewer than 1% of India’s 1.39 million allopathic doctors have enrolled, with just 996 registrations completed as of August 8.
• The National Medical Commission reports that 91% of the 11,200 applications received remain pending approval, creating a significant backlog.
• Applications plunged from about 6,000 in the first three months after launch to under 800 over the past four, signaling dwindling practitioner engagement.
• State medical registries remain unlinked to the central portal, leaving states like Chhattisgarh with only 75 registered practitioners and casting doubt on planned registers for nurses and paramedics.