India’s medical education capacity has expanded significantly over the past decade, with the total number of medical colleges rising to 818 and undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats witnessing a sharp increase. The information was shared in Parliament by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, citing data from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
According to the Ministry, the country currently has 1,28,976 MBBS seats and 85,020 postgraduate (PG) medical seats, reflecting a major boost to medical education and healthcare workforce capacity.
Sharp Rise in Medical Colleges and Seats
The government highlighted that the number of medical colleges in India has increased dramatically over the past decade. As per NMC data, medical colleges have grown by 111.36%, rising from 387 in 2013–14 to 818 at present.
Similarly, MBBS seats have increased by 151.18%, from 51,348 before 2013–14 to 1,28,976 currently. Postgraduate seats have also expanded significantly, rising by 172.63%, from 31,185 before 2014 to 85,020 now.
Officials said this expansion has improved access to medical education and helped strengthen India’s healthcare workforce.
Thousands of Additional Seats Approved Under Government Schemes
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) aimed at establishing new medical colleges attached to existing district or referral hospitals, particularly in underserved and aspirational districts.
Under these schemes, the government has approved 4,977 additional MBBS seats and 8,058 additional PG seats in medical colleges across the country.
The initiative prioritizes regions where there are no existing government or private medical colleges, helping improve the availability of medical education and healthcare services in underserved areas.
NMC’s Role in Monitoring Standards
Responding to queries raised by Members of Parliament, the Minister stated that the National Medical Commission invites online applications every year from institutions seeking approval to establish new medical colleges or increase undergraduate and postgraduate seats.
The approvals are granted through Letter of Permission (LoP) or Letter of Disapproval (LoD) after scrutiny under regulations such as:
- Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023
- Minimum Standard Requirements for Undergraduate Courses (UGMSR), 2023
- Minimum Standard Requirements for Postgraduate Courses (PGMSR), 2023
These rules ensure that institutions maintain the required faculty strength, infrastructure, equipment and clinical training facilities before expanding seat capacity.
Mandatory Annual Disclosure to Maintain Education Standards
Under the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER-2023), every medical college must submit an Annual Disclosure Report (ADR) to the relevant board of the NMC.
The report must confirm that the institution complies with the required standards set by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB).
These boards periodically evaluate the ADRs to ensure that medical institutions continue to maintain quality education and infrastructure standards.
Key Reforms Introduced to Improve Medical Education Access
The government has also introduced several regulatory changes under UGMSR-2023 and PGMSR-2023 to make medical education expansion easier while maintaining quality. Key reforms include:
- Removal of mandatory land requirements for medical colleges, allowing a unitary campus or two campuses within 10 km of the teaching hospital.
- Need-based infrastructure scaling, enabling institutions to expand facilities based on requirements.
- Permission to start PG courses with two faculty members and two seats, easing earlier staffing requirements.
- Option to start PG courses one year after launching UG courses, while government medical colleges can begin both simultaneously.
157 New Medical Colleges Approved Across India
As part of its long-term strategy to expand medical education infrastructure, the government has approved 157 new medical colleges across various districts under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Additionally, financial support has been provided for strengthening and upgrading existing state and central government medical colleges, allowing them to increase both MBBS and PG seat capacity.
Officials said these measures are aimed at ensuring equitable access to medical education across states and underserved regions, while also strengthening the country’s healthcare delivery system.
