Rajya Sabha Informed of Seat Expansion for 2025–26
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 777 additional postgraduate (PG) medical seats for 125 medical colleges following the review of appeals. The update was shared in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel.
162 Letters of Disapproval Issued
The Minister informed that the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) issued 162 Letters of Disapproval (LoDs) due to deficiencies such as incomplete documentation, inadequate infrastructure, shortage of clinical material (patients), and irregularities in faculty attendance recorded through the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS).
Appeals Filed Under NMC Act
Following the LoDs, 215 medical colleges filed first appeals before the NMC under Section 28(5) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. Out of these, 213 appeals were heard by the Appellate Committee, while the remaining were processed separately.
125 Colleges Granted Relief
After detailed scrutiny, 125 colleges were granted approval for 777 additional PG seats. However, the appeals of 76 colleges were rejected, and 12 cases were referred back to MARB for further review and reassessment.
Total 8,416 PG Seats Added for 2025–26
The Minister further revealed that a total of 8,416 additional PG medical seats were approved nationwide for the academic year 2025–26. These approvals were granted after following due process in accordance with the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMSR), 2023, and other applicable norms.
Karnataka Leads in Seat Addition
Karnataka received the highest number of newly sanctioned seats, with 1,328 seats added, including 426 in government medical colleges and 902 in private institutions. Uttar Pradesh followed with 1,034 new seats, including 316 government and 718 private college seats.
Other Major Contributors
Several other states recorded significant seat additions. Tamil Nadu added 905 seats, Maharashtra 653 seats, Gujarat 651 seats, Telangana 531 seats, and Madhya Pradesh 509 seats. The expansion reflects a broad-based increase in postgraduate medical training capacity across multiple regions.
Transparency in Counselling and Approvals
The Minister clarified that public notices were issued to update the PG seat matrix for the NEET-PG 2025–26 counselling process, ensuring that only duly approved seats were included. Online applications continue to be invited for starting or increasing undergraduate and postgraduate seats, with Letters of Permission (LoP) and LoDs issued strictly as per regulatory norms.
