How many MBBS seats went vacant in the last 4 years?

In 2021-2022, the total number of vacant seats was a minimum- altogether 2,012 seats remained vacant that year. Thereafter, the number of vacant seats doubled. The following year i.e. in 2023-2024, the number dropped to 2,959 and in 2023-2024, the number of vacant UG medical seats further got reduced to 2,849.

Also Read: Either Unfilled or Cancelled: MBBS vacant seat count may surpass 2000 seats this year

The Minister informed that, as informed by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the number of vacant seats across medical colleges in the country are as under:

MoS Health Patel shared the data in the Lok Sabha on August 1 while responding to the queries raised by MP Shri Putta Mahesh Kumar, who sought the details of total number of medical education seats available to students during the last five years in the country, State/UT-wise, stream-wise, especially in Andhra Pradesh.

Further, he sought to know whether the Government had undertaken any study/survey regarding the existing infrastructure available at medical colleges/institutions across the country during the last five years and whether the Government had any plans of increasing the number of medical seats/colleges/institutions.

In response, the Minister informed, "The Government has increased number of medical colleges and subsequently the MBBS seats therein. There is an increase of 39% in MBBS seats from 83275 in Academic year 2020-21 to 115900 as of now."

She also provided the State/UT wise details of MBBS seats in the country including Andhra Pradesh in the year 2020-2021 to 2024-2025 in an Annexure.

The data shared by the Minister revealed that the MBBS seat matrix in states including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat improved most in between 2021-2022 and 2024-25. The number of MBBS seats increased from 7428 to 12325 in Uttar Pradesh and it increased from 8000 to 12000 in Tamil Nadu. 

Further, in the case of Arunachal Pradesh, the MBBS seats doubled since 2021-2022 as from 50 MBBS seats, the intake capacity now stands at 100. In Manipur, the MBBS seats got increased from 225 to 525, in Nagaland, the seats increased from 0 to 100, and in Meghalaya, the seats increased from 50 to 150.

Minister Patel further informed that NMC has framed the Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations, 2023, which specify the minimum standards in terms of infrastructure, faculty, clinical material, and other necessary facilities required for establishing and maintaining medical colleges.

The key provisions of these regulations include the following:

 A minimum of 220 functional beds is required for medical colleges with an intake of 50 students.

 Mandatory establishment of key facilities such as a Medical Education Unit, Research Centre, Child Care Centre, Museum, Practical Laboratories etc.

 All teaching staff across departments must be full-time and are prohibited from engaging in private practice during official college hours.

 Appointment of visiting faculty to enhance the comprehensiveness and quality of teaching.

 Minimum daily outpatient (OPD) attendance of 8 patients (both old and new) per student intake annually is required in each specialty/subject.

 Mandatory clinical training through structured postings at both urban and rural health training centers, ensuring community-based and hands-on learning

Specifying the measures/steps taken by the Government to increase the number of medical seats/colleges/institutions in the country the Minister mentioned the following: -

i. Centrally Sponsored Scheme for establishment of new medical college by upgrading district/ referral hospital with preference to underserved area and aspirational districts, under which 131 new medical colleges are already functional out of 157 approved medical colleges.

ii. Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.

iii. Under “Upgradation of Government Medical Colleges by construction of SuperSpecialty Blocks” of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) scheme, a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 71 projects are complete.

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

Also Read: 485 MBBS, 247 PG Medical Seats Still Went Vacant in 2023: MoS Health tells parliament