Altogether 1,12,112 MBBS, 72,267 PG Medical Seats across 731 Medical Colleges in India: MoS Health in Parliament

New Delhi: There are altogether 1,12,112 MBBS and 72,627 postgraduate (PG) medical seats available in the medical institutes across the country, the Union Minister of State for Health Smt. Anupriya Patel informed the Lok Sabha recently..

She also informed that the number of medical colleges in India has increased by 88% - from 387 medical colleges before 2014 to 731 currently operative in the country.

As per the MoS Health, the MBBS seats have increased by 118% from 2014 and the PG seats have increased by 133% since the year 2014. Before 2014, there were 51,348 MBBS and 31,185 PG seats available in the country.

The Minister was responding to the questions raised by Shri Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy, who sought to know the details of the total number of UG and PG medical seats available in the Private and Government Medical Colleges during the last three years and also the details of the steps taken by the Government to increase the number of seats in Government Medical Colleges. He also asked whether the Government has taken any steps to improve the quality of education in the medical colleges.

In response to these questions, the MoS Health informed that "The Government has increased number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats. There is an increase of 88% in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 731 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 118% in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,12,112 as of now. There is also an increase of 133% in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 72,627 as of now."

Minister Patel also provided the details of the MBBS and PG seats (excluding the NBEMS) seats available in Private Government Medical Colleges during the last three years.

As per the data provided by MoS Health, during the academic year 2021-2022, altogether 92,127 MBBS and 46,118 PG medical seats were available in India. Among these, 48212 MBBS seats and 28260 PG medical seats were available in the Government medical colleges and 43915 MBBS and 17858 PG seats were available in the private medical colleges.

During 2022-2023, the country had 96,277 MBBS and 49,573 PG medical seats. Among these, 51912 MBBS and 30211 PG medical seats were in the Government Medical Colleges and 44365 MBBS and 19362 PG medical seats were in the private medical colleges.

In the academic year 2023-2024, the total number of MBBS seats increased to 108,940 seats and there were 54,834 PG medical seats available in the country.

The measures/steps taken by the Government to increase the number of seats and to improve the quality of education in the Government Medical Colleges, as mentioned by MoS Patel are as follows:

i. Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/ referral hospital under which 157 new medical colleges have been approved, out of which 109 are already functional.

ii. CSS for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/ Central Government medical colleges to increase the number of MBBS (UG) and PG seats, under which support has been provided for increase of 4977 MBBS seats in 83 colleges with an approved cost of Rs. 5972.20 Cr, 4058 PG seats in phase-I in 72 colleges with an approved cost of Rs. 1498.43 cr and 4000 PG seats in phase-II in 65 colleges with an approved cost of Rs. 4478.25 Cr.

iii. Under “Upgradation ofGovernment medical colleges by construction of SuperSpecialty Blocks” component of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 66 projects are complete.

iv. Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved. Undergraduate courses have started in 19 of these.

v. DNB qualification has been recognized for appointment as teaching faculty to take care of shortage of faculty. vi. Enhancement of age limit for appointment/ extension/ re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges upto 70 years

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in the beginning of this year, the former Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had informed the Lok Sabha that India had a total number of 1,08,940 MBBS and 70,645 Postgraduate medical seats. However, giving the State/UT wise break-up, the former Health Minister had informed that the number of PG seats also included 1621 CPS and 14190 DNB seats.

Also Read:1,08,940 MBBS, 70,645 PG Medical Seats in India, Maximum Medical Colleges in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka offers most seats