Delhi HC directs Nursing Council to decide on streamlining nurses’ registration system

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Indian Nursing Council to review and decide on a representation seeking improvements in the Nurses Registration and Tracking System (NRTS) to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness.

A bench comprising Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued the order on May 7, 2025, stating that the competent authority must make its decision through a reasoned and formal order in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

The directives mandate that the decision be made within six weeks from the date a certified copy of the order is presented to the Indian Nursing Council. Furthermore, the decision must be formally communicated to the petitioner.

The plea, filed by the Indian Professional Nurses Association (IPNA) through Advocate Robin Raju, urged regular reviews of the support provided by State Nurses Registration Councils (SNRCs) in maintaining NRTS, as per a 2019 circular.

Developed by the Indian Nursing Council with the National Informatics Centre, NRTS was designed to streamline the Indian Nurses Register. The system was meant to standardise registration processes, including Aadhaar-based verification, reciprocal registration, and higher qualification registration, while enabling online applications to reduce delays.

However, the petition argued that the system has not met its objectives. Currently, 1,276,762 nurses are enrolled, far below the 2020 parliamentary figures estimating over 21 lakh registered nurses and midwives. Many nurses still lack the National Unique Identity Number (NUID), which was supposed to provide incentives like Continuing Nursing Education.

The plea also pointed out missing data on reciprocal registration and No Objection Certificates, suggesting poor coordination between the Indian Nursing Council and State Nurses Registration Councils.

The NRTS portal appears to have become just a data-providing website, and the stated objective to ease the process of registration and other ancillary formalities by reducing the delay in the prevalent process has been diluted with time, the plea stated. (ANI)