Parliament Question: Additional seats in Govt. Medical colleges to increase MBBS capacity

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE RAJYASABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2049 TOBE ANSWERED ON10TH MARCH, 2026 ADDITIONALSEATS IN GOVT.MEDICALCOLLEGES TO INCREASEMBBS CAPACITY 2049. SHRISANJAYSETH: Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a)the reasons anddetailsof sanctioning additionalmedicalseats inGovernment colleges toincrease MBBS andpostgraduate capacity; (b) whether the increase inseats isaccompaniedbyproportional enhancementinfaculty, infrastructure andclinical trainingfacilitiestomaintain educationquality, if so, the details thereof,if not,the reasons therefor; (c)whether the National Medical Commission monitorscompliancewith regulationsand standards across colleges,if so, the details thereof,if not,the reasons therefor; and (d) the steps beingtakentoensure equitable accesstomedicaleducationacross States andunderserved regions, if so, the details thereof,if not,the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTEROFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL) (a) The National Medical Commission (NMC) invites online applications every year from medicalcollegesandinstitutionsacross thecountryforthe establishmentof newmedicalcolleges and for increase of Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) medical seats. NMC issues Letter of Permission (LoP)/ Letter of Disapproval (LoD) after due scrutiny and assessment in accordance with the provisions of the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, the Minimum Standard Requirement for Undergraduate courses (UGMSR), 2023,the Minimum StandardRequirementfor Postgraduatecourses(PGMSR),2023, andotherrelevantnormsissued byNMC from time totime. (b) & (c) The "Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (MSMER- 2023)" makes it obligatory on the part of the medical college or medical institution, after its establishment, to furnish anAnnual Disclosure Report (ADR) tothe concerned Board, satisfying such conditions provided under the notified MSRs byUnder-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) or Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) and regulations of NMC. Therespective Board (PGMEB or UGMEB) undertakes the evaluation of the ADR as and when deemednecessary for theirassessment andotherwise. Further, toensure equitabletomedicaleducation across States andunderserved regions, the following keymeasures have beenintroducedunderUGMSR, 2023 andPGMSR,2023. (i) Removal of the earlier mandatory land requirement, with provision for a unitary campus or a maximum of two campuses within a distance of 10 km between the medical college and the teachinghospital. (ii)Adoption of a need-basedapproach for scaling infrastructure, equipmentandmanpower. (iii) Permission to start PG courses with two seats with two faculty members without the earlier requirementof three faculty membersanda senior resident. (iv) Provision enabling medical colleges to apply for starting PG courses one year after commencement of the undergraduate course, while Government Medical Colleges may start PG courses simultaneously with UG courses. (d) The government has made concerted efforts on expanding the medical college infrastructure under various CSS Schemes over last one decade so that medical education becomes more equitable and accessible across States. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for ‘Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals’ with preference to underserved areas andaspirational districts, where there is no existing Government or private medical college. A total of 157 Medical Colleges have been approved inthe various districts across the country. Further, support has also been provided for Strengthening/Upgradation of existing Sate Government/Central Government medicalcollegestoincrease thenumberofMBBS(UG)andPGseatsunderanotherCSSScheme. Under these schemes, additional 4977 MBBS seats and 8058 PG seats have been approved in medicalcollegesacross thecountry. As reported by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the numberof Medical Collegeshave increased by 111.36 % from 387 in2013-14 to 818 at present. Further, it has been informed that MBBS seats have increased by 151.18%, from 51,348 before 2013–14 to 128,976 at present, while postgraduate (PG) seats have increased by 172.63%, from 31,185 before 2014 to 85,020 currently,therebycontributingtoimprovedaccessibility tomedicaleducation. ****