Medical Education Update: The PG seat count includes seats in institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other Institutes of National Importance (INIs).
Medical Education Update:
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel informed in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on March 10 that 43 new medical colleges have been established across the country for the academic year 2025–26.
According to the minister, the government has also approved 11,682 MBBS seats and 8,967 postgraduate (PG) seats for the 2025–26 academic session. The PG seats include those in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other Institutes of National Importance (INIs) across the country.
Approval Process for Medical Colleges and Seats
The National Medical Commission (NMC) invites online applications every year from medical colleges and institutions that wish to establish new medical colleges or increase the number of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) seats.
After receiving these applications, the commission carries out a detailed scrutiny and assessment process. Based on the evaluation, the NMC issues either a Letter of Permission (LoP) for approval or a Letter of Disapproval (LoD) if the requirements are not met.
These approvals are granted according to the regulatory frameworks set by the NMC, including the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, the Minimum Standard Requirements for Undergraduate Medical Education (UGMSR), 2023, and the Minimum Standard Requirements for Postgraduate Medical Education (PGMSR), 2023, along with other relevant guidelines issued by the commission from time to time.
Scheme To Expand Medical Colleges In Underserved Areas
Scheme for Establishment of New Medical Colleges
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme to establish new medical colleges attached to existing district or referral hospitals. The scheme mainly focuses on underserved regions and aspirational districts, especially those where no government or private medical college is currently available.
Under this initiative, the funding is shared between the Central Government and the State Governments. The cost-sharing ratio is 90:10 for northeastern and special category states, while for other states it is 60:40.
So far, 157 medical colleges have been approved in three phases under this scheme, with a total project cost of ₹41,332.41 crore. Out of the Central Government’s share of ₹26,715.84 crore, an amount of ₹23,246.10 crore has already been released, the minister informed.