3 min readJun 22, 2026 06:05 AM IST First published on: Jun 22, 2026 at 06:05 AM ISTIn a first-of-its-kind reform, Andhra Pradesh has thrown open its doors to doctors from across India by removing state registration hurdles. An MBBS graduate holding a recognised medical qualification and valid registration with any state or UT medical council in the country will now be allowed to practise in the state, without a separate Andhra Pradesh Medical Council registration or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the council where they are registered. The order cuts through a bureaucratic roadblock that has long deterred doctors — particularly young graduates and specialists — from moving to states where there are better opportunities. With Andhra Pradesh’s registered doctor base standing at roughly 1.05 lakh for a population of nearly 5 crore, and the country’s overall doctor-population ratio hovering at 1:811 against the WHO benchmark of 1:1,000, this is likely to help address shortages in specialist care and strengthen the state’s ambition to attract medical talent from across India.The significance of the decision is not limited to healthcare administration alone. In a country that routinely speaks of the ease of living and doing business, domicile preferences in public employment and local registration requirements have often tested the spirit, if not always the letter, of constitutional guarantees. Driven by political and administrative considerations, states frequently create procedural hurdles that limit opportunities. For instance, in an attempt to stem high attrition rates, Bihar recently made it mandatory for government doctors to complete three years of continuous service before becoming eligible for NOCs. There are also other tangible costs for those seeking to relocate. Re-registration fees at state councils typically range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, while obtaining an NOC from a home-state council — a prerequisite for re-registration elsewhere — can take weeks and involve additional paperwork.AdvertisementAndhra Pradesh’s move also aligns with the broader objective behind the National Medical Commission’s efforts to create a seamless national registration framework. The “One Nation, One Registration” platform was launched in August 2024 to eliminate impediments to professional mobility. Yet only around 1,800 registration certificates have been issued so far, while more than 30,000 applications remain pending verification at state medical councils. By lowering barriers to mobility, Andhra Pradesh has not only moved to strengthen healthcare delivery, it has shown that states need not wait for administrative bottlenecks to be resolved before adopting the principle underlying the reform.