Parliament Question: Additional MBBS and PG Seats

GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3614 TO BE ANSWERED ON13thMARCH 2026 ADDITIONALMBBS ANDPGSEATS 3614. SHRIDUSHYANTSINGH: Willthe Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleasedtostate: (a) the manner in which additional MBBS and PG seats approved under Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening and upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges/Standalone PG Institutes/Government Hospitals are being allocated through a transparent andneeds-based framework, particularly for aspirational and underserved districts includingthose inRajasthan; (b) whether long-term health workforce planning has been undertaken to align seat expansion with projected regional demand for doctors and specialists along with estimates of additional faculty requirementsarising therefrom,if so, the detailsthereof; (c) the manner in which the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025 and the CBME Curriculum Guidelines, 2024 support faculty availability, medico-legal training and quality standards; and (d) the steps envisaged to enhance affordability, ensure greater fee transparency in private medical collegesandposition of India asa globalhubfor high-quality medicaleducation? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SMT.ANUPRIYAPATEL) (a) & (b): The Government has approved Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for strengthening and upgradation of existing State Government/ Central Government Medical Colleges/ Standalone PG Institutes/ Government Hospitals for increasing 5,000 PG seats and extension of the CSS for upgradation of existing government medical colleges for increasing 5,023 MBBS seats with an enhanced cost ceiling of ₹1.50 crore per seat from financial year 2025-26 to 2028-29. Guidelines for implementation of these schemes have been issued in November, 2025, wherein, States and UTs including Rajasthan have been requested to send the Detailed Project Report with proper Gap Analysis. While sending the proposals, States/UTs have been requested to give priority to the institutes in underserved/rural areasand certain broad specialities. The expansion of medical seats reduce the gap in the healthcare workforce, particularly in underserved region and has a direct bearing on the doctor- populationratioacross States,includingRajasthan.(c) & (d): The National Medical Commission (NMC) has notified the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025 to address the growing demand for healthcare professionals and to enhance the quality of medical education. These regulations aim to widen the pool of eligible facultyandfacilitate expansion of MBBS andPGseats through following measures: i. Non-teaching government hospitals with 220+ beds can now be designated as teaching hospitals. ii. Specialists with 10 years' experience can be appointed as Associate Professors, and those with 2 years experience as Assistant Professors, without mandatory Senior Residency, Senior Consultants with 3 years of teaching experience in NBEMS-recognized institutions are now eligiblefor the post of Professor. iii. Diploma holders with 6 years cumulative experience as specialists or medical officers in governmentinstitutions are eligibleasAssistant Professor. Additionally, the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, issued under the framework of the National Medical Commission (NMC), strengthen medico-legal training and quality standards in medical education by emphasizing competency-based learning, ethical practice, and accountability in healthcare. The guidelines integrate medico-legal aspects into the undergraduate medicalcurriculumtoensure thatmedicalgraduatesare well equippedtohandle legal, ethical,andprofessional responsibilities inclinicalpractice. Further, relaxation in PG course norms has been introduced whereby PG courses can commence with two (02) faculty members and two (02) seats, and bed/unit requirements have been rationalized. More feeder specialties have been made eligible for super-specialty programs, thus widening the faculty pool. Furthermore, the faculty requirements for MBBS courses as prescribed underthe UG-MSR, 2023,are requiredtobe maintained byMedical Colleges. The fee structure for MBBS course differs from State to State in Government / Private Medical Colleges as per the guidelines issued by concerned State Fee Regulatory Authorities. Further, the fee structure of Government medical colleges is subsidized thereby contributing to makingmedicaleducation affordableandaccessible. Guidelines have been framed under clause (i) of Sub- section (1) of section 10 of National Medical Commission Act, 2019 for determination of fees and all other charges in respect of 50% of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities which were issued by National Medical Commission on03.02.2022.However, the guidelineshave beenchallenged invariouscourts andare subjudice. ******