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To curb bogus practitioners, Maharashtra govt makes QR code verification mandatory for doctors

Minister of State Madhuri Misal recently informed the Legislative Council that the process to enact a stricter law against fake doctors is currently underway.

3 min readJan 9, 2026 08:30 PM IST

Doctors have welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) order on January 7, that has directed a newly appointed returning officer (RO) for elections to MMC. (Representative Image)

The state government has issued instructions to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to introduce QR codes for doctors to help patients verify their authenticity and curb practice of “bogus” or unqualified practitioners.

Minister of State Madhuri Misal recently informed the Legislative Council that the process to enact a stricter law against fake doctors is currently underway. When contacted, MMC administrator Dr Vinky Rughwani, who had initiated this project, told The Indian Express to counter the menace of ‘bogus’ doctors and practitioners, the state has issued instructions to the effect and the MMC is in the process of making QR codes mandatory.

“The healthcare system in Maharashtra continues to face a significant challenge with unlicensed and fraudulent medical practices, which pose a serious threat, particularly in vulnerable and rural areas. At Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), we have consistently taken proactive measures, including identifying and delisting fraudulent practices from its registry. This initiative was aimed at empowering patients and enhancing transparency in healthcare,” said Dr Rughwani, adding that accordingly, registered medical practitioners were encouraged to display the QR code-based KYD card at their clinics .This allows patients to scan it using their smartphones and access verified information about the authenticity of the doctor.

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There are 2.12 lakh medical practitioners registered with MMC. Ever since the initiative was launched also as part of your `Know your doctor’ campaign, approximately 13,700 doctors have MMC certified QR codes.

MMC elections to be held within three months

Doctors have welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) order on January 7, that has directed a newly appointed returning officer (RO) for elections to MMC. When contacted, Sunil Dhonde, the newly appointed RO, told The Indian Express that as per the order, polls will have to be conducted within three months. In their order, the apex court bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R Mahadevan said the process would start de novo—meaning the process would have to begin afresh by the Returning Officer and fix the date on a Sunday/any public holiday so that members can vote.

It may be recalled that the MMC elections were due since a few years and while elections for nine members had been announced last year, the high court, in March last year, had rejected a petition filed by Dr Sachin Pawar who had challenged the appointment of the returning officer on the grounds of eligibility. Dr Pawar then approached the Supreme Court, which had stayed the election process and directed the state government to appoint another returning officer.

The Supreme Court meanwhile, directed that the elections be taken to its logical conclusion and as per the order, if any objections are found to be frivolous, then it shall be dealt with strictly. Dr Sanjay Patil , chairperson of the Hospital Board of India, Pune Chapter welcomed the order.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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