NCAHP Seeks Comments on Draft Provisional Registration Regulations for Allied and Healthcare Professionals

Draft framework remains at the consultation stage

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has proposed a regulatory framework for provisional registration of eligible allied and healthcare professionals. The proposal is framed under the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021, and is intended to create defined routes for skill enhancement, competency assessment and eventual transition to regular registration. The source describes the instrument as draft regulations and does not state that they have been enacted or brought into force.

Eligibility, verification and progression to regular registration

The proposed system would establish standardised eligibility criteria, credential verification and registration procedures for provisional registration. Professionals who qualify for provisional registration could be required, where applicable, to complete bridge courses, supervised clinical training and minimum qualifying examinations. Regular registration would remain conditional on meeting the prescribed educational and competency requirements, rather than arising automatically from provisional registration.

The draft also identifies provisions dealing with the validity, extension, termination and appeals associated with provisional registration. It proposes a route to registration in the appropriate Central or State Register, subject to fulfilment of prescribed conditions. These details indicate that the proposal addresses both the initial registration stage and the conditions for later progression.

Online registration and unique identification

The draft regulations envisage an integrated online process covering application submission, credential verification, eligibility assessment and issuance of provisional registration certificates. Professionals granted provisional registration would receive a Provisional Registration Unique Identification Number, or PR UID. According to the source, the proposed digital mechanism is intended to support systematic identification and regulatory oversight while improving consistency across States and Union Territories.

Public comments invited until 4 December 2026

NCAHP has invited comments, suggestions and objections from professionals, associations, educational institutions, State Allied and Healthcare Councils, healthcare institutions, experts and members of the public. The draft is available on the official NCAHP website. Feedback may be sent to the specified email address by 4 December 2026. The source states that the submissions will be considered before finalisation, so the published framework is still subject to the consultation process.