20/09/2025
This is to bring to the kind notice of all institutions, service providers, professionals, hospitals, and clinics in India, as well as the public at large, that the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021, has been enacted by the Parliament of India. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) has been constituted with effect from January 8, 2024, to establish a unified regulatory body in India for 56 allied and 4 healthcare professions, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, optometrists, physician associates and nutrition scientists.
The term "Paramedical" has been used to describe various healthcare-related professions providing support services in healthcare delivery. However, with the enactment of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, the term "Allied and Healthcare" shall be used henceforth in place of "Paramedical" in all forms of usage, as per the circular dated July 1, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
According to Chapter 1, Section 2(j), a "healthcare professional" includes a scientist, therapist, or other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises, or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic, or promotional health services and has obtained a qualification of a degree under this Act. The duration of such a degree shall not be less than 3,600 hours, spread over three to six years, divided into specific semesters. Since physiotherapy degrees exceed 3,600 hours, physiotherapy falls under the healthcare category in the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Council.
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Council recognizes physiotherapists as independent healthcare professionals with an International standard classification of occupations code 2264. A physiotherapy professional is defined as a person who practices physiotherapy, undertaking comprehensive examination and appropriate investigation, providing treatment and advice to individuals with movement or functional dysfunction, malfunction, disorder, disability, healing, and pain from trauma and disease. Physiotherapists use physical modalities, including exercise, mobilization, manipulations, electrical and thermal agents, and other electrotherapeutics for prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, health promotion, and fitness. They can practice independently or as part of a multidisciplinary team and have a minimum qualification of a baccalaureate degree.
According to National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions
COMPETENCY BASED CURRICULUM
for “PHYSIOTHERAPY”.
Chapter 3.2.3. The recommended title thus stands as the “Physiotherapist” with the Prefix “Dr” and suffix
“PT”.
The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Council has given a public notice stating that no notifications or decisions regarding professional status should be issued or circulated without the concurrence or consent of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Council, dated March 13, 2024.
