Health Bulletin 10/August/2026

Here are the top health stories for the day:

India Has 86,360 NEET PG Seats, Centre Plans 5,000 More: Health Ministry

India currently has 86,360 postgraduate medical seats, with Karnataka accounting for the highest number at 10,092, the Union Health Ministry informed the Lok Sabha recently.

PGIMS Rohtak Professor calls for reforms in Medical Education 

Calls for reforms in medical education are growing, with Dr Kundan Mittal, Senior Professor and Medical Superintendent at PGIMS-Rohtak, proposing measures to improve medical training, healthcare delivery and institutional accountability. Mittal suggested that compulsory service bonds should be utilised more effectively by deploying bonded doctors mainly at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), where shortages are highest. He also recommended rotational heads of departments in government medical colleges to encourage wider participation and strengthen academic leadership. He called for redesigning the District Residency Programme with greater focus on PHCs and CHCs, along with stronger monitoring to ensure residents remain at designated centres.

For students, Mittal proposed biometric attendance for every teaching session, with daily records shared with the National Medical Commission to improve discipline and learning outcomes. He also suggested scientifically designed psychological assessments during medical admissions to identify students needing early counselling, without excluding candidates. For faculty, he recommended replacing the ACR-based assessment system with a standardised national framework focused on transparency, accountability and professional development, while involving pre-clinical faculty in academic administration to strengthen institutional governance, according to The Tribune report.

Dharmendra Pradhan Breaks Silence, Says Attempts Made to Mislead Youth During NEET Protests

Former Union Education Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan has said attempts were made to “mislead” Gen Z during protests over the NEET paper leak controversy, which contributed to his decision to resign from the Union Council of Ministers. Speaking at GM University in Sambalpur, Pradhan said he had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered his resignation, adding that the ministerial post was never important to him. He resigned on July 25 amid weeks of student protests over the NEET paper leak issue, reports The Telegraph.

Pradhan said young people are the country’s future and expressed confidence that they would help make India a “Vishwa Guru”. His remarks come amid continuing political criticism over the handling of the NEET controversy. BJD leader Rohit Pujari accused the BJP government of mishandling the student agitation and said police action during protests had contributed to criticism against Pradhan. The NEET controversy has remained a major issue, with students and opposition parties demanding accountability and stronger safeguards against examination irregularities.

Supreme Court to Frame Guidelines on Timely Treatment After Four-Year-Old Rape Victim's Death, Orders Rs 12 Lakh Compensation