Optometry Registration in India: The NCAHP Act 2021, State Councils and What Students Should Do Now
Last updated: November 2026
RPC Rounds for Optometrists · B.Optom study guide
Until recently optometry in India had no single national regulator. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) Act, 2021 changes that: optometrists will need to be registered to practise. Implementation is still in progress, so this page explains the law, what has happened so far and what students and practising optometrists should do now.
Last checked: November 2026. Implementation is changing quickly; check the NCAHP website and your state council for the latest notices.
What the Act does
- Sets up a National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions and State Allied and Healthcare Councils.
- Lists the recognised professions in categories. Optometrists come under the ophthalmic sciences category, alongside other eye care professions.
- Gives the commission power to set minimum education standards, approve courses and institutions, frame curricula, run exams and keep a central register.
- Makes registration compulsory to practise a recognised profession once the registers are set up, and sets penalties for practising without registration.
- Allows registered professionals to practise within the scope set by the commission.
Timeline so far
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 2021 | Act passed by Parliament |
| May 2021 | Act came into force; states were to set up councils within six months |
| 2024 | National Commission formally constituted |
| July 2025 | NCAHP chairperson reported 10 competency-based curricula, including optometry, to start from 2026–27, and plans for uniform exit exams |
| October 2025 | Draft Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2025 published for comments |
| February 2026 | Supreme Court issued contempt notice to the Centre and states over slow implementation; the court noted that only 14 of 28 states and UTs had councils, many not working fully |
Reports differ on the number of working state councils (the commission spoke of 25 states and UTs in 2025); what matters for you is whether your own state council is accepting applications.
Draft registration rules (2025): key points
- Register with your State Council, which also enters you in the Central Register. If your state has no council, or you live in a Union Territory, register directly in the Central Register.
- You need a recognised qualification from an approved institution and must pass the exit examination. Until the exit exam starts, the final qualifying exam of a recognised institution counts.
- Each registrant gets a unique ID valid across India.
- Registration lasts five years. Renewal needs continuing professional development: 15 hours a year or 75 hours over five years, with no more than half online.
- Foreign qualifications must be recognised and pass an equivalence evaluation.
- Separate rules are planned for people already practising without a recognised qualification (provisional registration).
These are draft rules and may change when final regulations are notified.
What to do now
Students
- Check that your college and course are approved by the state council or the commission when the list is published.
- Keep your degree, mark sheets and internship certificate safely; you will need them for registration.
- Expect the new competency-based curriculum from 2026–27 and an exit exam in future; practical skills will matter more.
Practising optometrists
- Watch for your state council's registration notice and apply as soon as it opens.
- Start a CPD log now (courses, conferences, webinars) so renewal is easy.
- Keep clear records and stay within the current scope of practice; refer anything beyond it (see the referral guide).
- If you plan to work abroad, registration at home is often required; see optometry exams abroad.
For ethics, consumer law and disability certification, see community optometry and law in India.
Practical pearls
- Bookmark your state council's website: registration will open state by state, not on one national date.
- Start a CPD record now; under the draft rules you need 75 hours every five years to renew.
- Keep your internship certificate: it is part of the qualification for registration.
Where students slip
- Thinking registration is optional once the register opens.
- Assuming the draft 2025 rules are final.
- Confusing the Rehabilitation Council of India (for some vision rehabilitation roles) with the NCAHP.
Test yourself: flip cards
Quick quiz
Related: Community Optometry, Public Health and Law in India: NPCBVI, School Screening, NCAHP Act and Registration, Optometry Exams Abroad: USA (NBEO), UK (GOC), Australia (OCANZ), Canada, Ireland and Gulf Licensing for Indian Optometrists, RPC Rounds for Optometrists: B.Optom Curriculum, Study Guide and Practical Pearls, Eye Test for Driving Licence, Railway and Defence Jobs in India, When to Refer: Eye Referral Urgency Guide for Optometrists. Back to the optometry curriculum.
Key sources
- The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 (Act 14 of 2021). Gazette of India
- Medical Dialogues. NCAHP issues draft regulations for registration (3 October 2025)
- Careers360. Interview with the NCAHP chairperson (15 July 2025)
- Medical Dialogues. Supreme Court issues contempt notice to Centre, States over non-implementation of NCAHP Act (27 February 2026)
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