The complete NMC guidelines list, the 6 October 2026 update, and a compliance checklist for doctors, hospitals, clinics, surgeons, pharma, medtech and healthtech.
Last updated 3 November 2026 · Covers NMC Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026
Is your Instagram reel from last month now a disciplinary risk? Under the National Medical Commission’s 6 October 2026 notice, it might be. The guidelines took effect the day they were issued, with no transition window, and they apply to doctors, hospitals and medical institutions alike. This guide explains the NMC guidelines list, what each group may and may not publish, and how to run an NMC guidelines compliance check before a State Medical Council does it for you.
NMC guidelines are the regulations, public notices, advisories and codes issued by the National Medical Commission, India’s statutory regulator for medical education and the medical profession under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. They govern professional conduct, ethics, advertising, registration, licensing and medical college standards. State Medical Councils (SMCs) enforce them against individual registered medical practitioners (RMPs).
Two points are easy to miss. First, NMC does not publish a separate rulebook for each specialty or industry; the October 2026 notice sets one ethical framework for doctors and medical institutions. Second, NMC rules sit alongside other laws. A hospital also answers to clinical establishment laws, a drug maker to the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, and a device maker to CDSCO.
Four notices from October 2026 matter, and one of them changes healthcare marketing in India.
| Category | Guideline or regulation | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics and advertising | Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication (6 Oct 2026) | RMPs, hospitals, medical institutions; affects agencies and platforms |
| Professional conduct | Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 | All RMPs |
| Professional conduct (draft in abeyance) | RMP (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023 | Reference only |
| Telemedicine | Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020 | Doctors, teleconsultation platforms |
| Registration | Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023 | RMPs, foreign medical graduates |
| Undergraduate education | Graduate Medical Education Regulations, CBME curriculum | Medical colleges, MBBS students |
| Postgraduate education | PG Medical Education Regulations, 2023; PG Minimum Standard Requirements (amended March 2026) | PG institutions, residents |
| College establishment | Establishment of New Medical Institutions regulations; MARB notices | Trusts, societies, colleges |
| Annual disclosure | Annual Disclosure Report for MBBS and PG seat renewal | Existing medical colleges |
| Digital health | ABDM-compliant HMIS in medical colleges (17 July 2026) | Medical colleges |
| Disability inclusion | PwBD assessment guidelines and Enabling Units (July–August 2026) | Colleges, candidates |
| Foreign graduates | Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 | FMGs |
The notice defines advertising broadly: any communication that directly or indirectly promotes a doctor’s or institution’s services, reputation, qualifications, achievements or facilities. That covers newspapers and TV, but also your website, Google Business Profile, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp broadcasts, sponsored posts, influencer content and AI-generated material.
Explanation III to para 3.2 requires a doctor posting on electronic media to show their name, qualifications, registration status and State or National Medical Register number. Institutions must show the same for doctors featured in their posts.
Yes, if the post educates rather than sells. Explaining a condition, its warning signs and when to see a specialist is permitted. Posting a patient’s thank-you video, a “500 successful surgeries” graphic or a festive discount is not.
Photographs are a specific trap. NMC bars doctors from using their own photographs for self-advertisement or solicitation, and treats a self-photograph on a letterhead or signboard as unethical conduct. Liability also travels: an RMP who permits an agency, employer or influencer to promote them through prohibited means is answerable for it.
Before you publish, ask three questions. Does this post carry my registration number? Would it still make sense with every claim about me removed? Could a patient read it as a promise of a result?
Surgical specialties such as cosmetic and plastic surgery, bariatrics, orthopaedics, IVF, ophthalmology and hair transplant have long relied on visual proof. That proof is now the restricted category. Advertised results, before-and-after galleries, celebrity patients and personal success stories are out; the narrow exception is strictly scientific or educational use with anonymised, consented material.
| Specialty | What to review first |
|---|---|
| Orthopaedics | Joint replacement volume claims, recovery timelines |
| Plastic and cosmetic surgery | Before-and-after images, aesthetic outcome promises |
| Bariatric surgery | Weight-loss figures and transformation stories |
| Fertility and IVF | Pregnancy success rates, patient confidentiality |
| Ophthalmology | “Spectacle-free” and vision guarantees |
| Oncology | Survival claims, content aimed at vulnerable patients |
| Paediatric surgery | Any child’s image or identifiable case detail |
These are marketing risk areas, not separate NMC specialty rules. Write procedure pages that explain the condition, the procedure, its risks, recovery and alternatives, and leave the numbers out.
Yes. The notice names hospitals and medical institutions alongside individual doctors, closing the gap that let corporate hospitals advertise freely while their doctors could not. An NMC panel had signalled this earlier, saying norms for corporate hospitals should not differ from those for doctors.
Hospitals may state their name, location, facilities, specialties and services factually. What needs review is the marketing layer around those facts.
| Marketing activity | What to check |
|---|---|
| Specialty and service pages | Verified descriptions, no superiority claims |
| Doctor profile pages | Qualifications and registration numbers shown |
| Google Ads and Meta Ads | Offers, guarantees, landing-page claims |
| Awards and rankings | Verified source, no “best in city” framing |
| Patient stories | Removed from promotion |
| Package and discount offers | Withdrawn where aimed at attracting patients |
| Influencer tie-ups | Ended or rebuilt as genuine education |
A hospital campaign that features a named doctor can expose that doctor to SMC action. Hospitals should also check obligations under applicable clinical establishment laws.
Solo practices and small clinics often run their own Instagram, YouTube and Google listings, so a single unreviewed post can be the whole compliance record. Signboards and letterheads should carry name, qualifications, registration number, specialty and timings, without self-photographs or slogans.
An NMC friendly clinic website includes accurate doctor credentials, factual service descriptions, reviewed patient-education content, a clear appointment process and a privacy notice. It leaves out cure guarantees, “best doctor” headlines, testimonial sliders and discount banners. Promotional pricing such as cashback or “first consultation free” offers designed to attract patients is restricted; a factual declaration of fees is permitted.
NMC regulates doctors, not drug companies. Pharmaceutical promotion is governed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. The NMC guidelines still shape every pharma programme, because they decide what a doctor can lend their name to.
A doctor cannot appear in advertising for medicines, supplements, devices or diagnostics, whether paid or unpaid. Referral fees, gifts and commissions tied to patients or specimens are barred. Brand teams should audit doctor-fronted reels, KOL videos, “doctor recommended” packaging claims and referral schemes against both UCPMP and the NMC notice.
Not in an advertisement. The restriction lands on the doctor, so campaigns built around a named surgeon endorsing an implant, or claims like “trusted by 500 cardiologists” linked to identifiable doctors, need rework. Peer-reviewed studies, conference presentations, training workshops and anonymised, consented educational material remain available.
NMC rules do not replace product regulation. Medtech firms must separately confirm their device classification and obligations under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, administered by CDSCO. Contracts with healthcare professionals should include compliance clauses and a content-approval step, and distributor-run social pages need the same review as your own.
Doctor-discovery apps, aggregators, teleconsultation platforms and review sites are directly affected. Platforms hosting RMPs must avoid paid ranking of doctors and keep listing practices transparent. Doctors and hospitals cannot inflate engagement or manipulate search rankings to suggest standing they have not earned.
| Product or service | Main review area |
|---|---|
| Doctor listing and review platforms | Paid rankings, authentic reviews, accurate profiles |
| Telemedicine platforms | Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020 |
| Hospital software and EHR | Records, access control, DPDP Act consent |
| Healthcare CRM and marketing automation | Consent, lead-generation fees, patient data |
| AI diagnostics and decision support | Device classification under CDSCO |
| Medical chatbots | Clinical accuracy, disclaimers |
For AI specifically: content that misrepresents diagnoses, treatments, outcomes, qualifications or patient experiences is prohibited, as are commercial AI-generated promotional campaigns. Keep a documented human review for every AI-assisted health page.
Education explains; advertising converts. An article on the warning signs of a heart attack is education. The same article ending in “Book now, 30% off angiography” is advertising, and so is an explainer with a patient testimonial embedded in it.
Good patient-education content under the NMC framework:
This kind of content also tends to perform well in Google and AI assistants, which favour clear, sourced answers from identifiable experts.
Enforcement sits with State Medical Councils under the NMC Act. Reported action follows a graded ladder: warning and ethics training, then censure and fine, then suspension, up to removal from the register for one to three years in serious or repeated cases. Hospitals can face separate action under clinical establishment laws. The exact penalty depends on the violation, the authority and the procedure followed.
Use this as an internal screening tool. It is not an official NMC checklist.
An NMC guidelines compliance audit is a structured review of every public touchpoint, with findings documented so you can show good-faith correction if a complaint arrives.
| Stage | Activity | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | List every channel: website, blog, Google Business Profile, Practo and Justdial listings, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, brochures, hoardings, signboards, agency and influencer contracts | Content inventory |
| 2 | Map the rules that apply: NMC notice, clinical establishment law, UCPMP, CDSCO, DPDP Act, ad platform policies | Regulatory map |
| 3 | Score each item against the checklist | Risk register |
| 4 | Fix critical items first: testimonials, superlatives, offers, fabricated outcomes | Corrective action log |
| 5 | Get clinical and legal sign-off where needed | Approval records |
| 6 | Set an approval workflow and repeat quarterly | Monitoring report |
A simple severity scale helps. Critical: fabricated outcomes or deceptive endorsements, removed immediately. High: unsupported claims or prohibited offers, paused pending review. Moderate: missing registration numbers, corrected and verified. Low: formatting issues, fixed in routine updates. This scale is an agency working model, not an NMC classification.
Download our sample report to see one end to end: 37 audit points across doctor credentials, advertising claims, testimonials and patient data, reviews and rankings, offers and referral fees, endorsements, AI content, and website and privacy, with severity ratings, a 30-day remediation plan and a sign-off sheet. It uses a fictional hospital, so you can replace the findings with your own.
Download the Sample NMC Audit Report (PDF)
If you want a second pair of eyes, Digital Crats runs NMC guidelines compliance audits for hospital and clinic websites and social accounts.
An NMC friendly website puts information first and still ranks well, because search engines and AI assistants reward clear, sourced, expert-authored answers.
| Page | What it should contain |
|---|---|
| Homepage | Factual introduction to the hospital or clinic |
| Doctor profiles | Qualifications, registration number, specialty, languages, timings |
| Specialty and service pages | Condition, procedure, risks, recovery, alternatives, reviewed by a named doctor |
| Patient education and blog | Sourced articles answering real patient questions |
| Fees | Factual charges, no promotional framing |
| Appointment and contact | Clear process, consent-based forms |
| Privacy policy and disclaimer | DPDP Act-aligned data notice, medical information context |
Leave out testimonial sliders, curated star-rating widgets, before-and-after galleries, “best hospital in [city]” headlines, countdown offers and stock or AI images implying real patient results. Check SEO titles and meta descriptions too: a “No. 1 cardiologist” title tag is still a claim.
Add structured data (FAQPage, MedicalOrganization, Physician) so search and AI engines can read your credentials and answers accurately.
Rely on the original, not summaries. The 13-page notice is available from the NMC “What’s New” section; search for notice number R-13014/01/2024-Ethics or download it directly from the official NMC guidelines PDF.
Official sources referenced in this guide
They are the regulations, notices and codes issued by the National Medical Commission governing medical education, registration, professional conduct and ethics for doctors and medical institutions in India.
The Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication, issued 6 October 2026 and effective immediately, covering doctors, hospitals and medical institutions.
Yes, for education and factual information, with name, qualifications and registration number disclosed. Testimonials, offers, superlatives and promotional before-and-after content are not allowed.
Not for promotion. Consent alone does not make a promotional testimonial permissible. Strictly scientific or educational use with anonymised, consented material is the exception.
Both. The notice explicitly covers hospitals and medical institutions as well as RMPs.
No. Using a doctor’s identity to endorse any health product in advertising is prohibited, paid or unpaid.
Promotional discounts and cashback aimed at attracting patients are restricted. A factual declaration of charges is permitted.
Yes, with limits. Deceptive AI content and commercial AI-generated promotional campaigns are prohibited, permitted AI promotional content needs an AI-origin disclosure, and human clinical review is essential.
Yes, if they breach the rules. There is no transition window, so existing content is judged by the current guidelines.
Indirectly. They restrict what doctors and hospitals can do in promotion. Companies must also comply with UCPMP, CDSCO rules and other product laws.
Agencies are not regulated by NMC, but the doctors and hospitals they work for are, and an RMP who permits prohibited promotion is liable. Agencies should build medical review and client sign-off into every campaign.
No. They are separate frameworks. Passing Google’s ad review does not establish NMC compliance, and the reverse is also true.
State Medical Councils can apply graded action, from warning and ethics training up to removal from the medical register for one to three years.
From the “What’s New” section of nmc.org.in, using notice number R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, or via the direct PDF link.
Digital Crats works with hospitals, clinics and doctors on healthcare websites, SEO and content built around the October 2026 rules. If you want your existing site and social accounts reviewed against the checklist above, talk to our team.
Disclaimer: This guide reflects Digital Crats’ reading of the NMC public notice dated 6 October 2026 and published coverage. Digital Crats is a healthcare marketing agency, not a law firm, and this is not legal advice. Verify all points against the official notice and consult a qualified healthcare lawyer before acting.