50 New Medical Colleges with 8,195 MBBS Seats Approved this Year

New Delhi: In a major boost to undergraduate medical education in the country, a huge number of 50 new medical colleges have been approved this year with an intake capacity of 8,195 MBBS seats.

With this, the total number of UG medical seats in the country has been increased to 1,07,658, official sources informed PTI on Thursday. With the addition of these 50 colleges (30 government and 20 private), the number of medical colleges in the country now stands at 702, they said.

According to sources, these 50 new medical colleges have been approved in Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Nagaland, Maharashtra, Assam, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that regarding the number of medical colleges available in the country, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar had informed the Rajya Sabha that India had altogether 660 medical colleges with an intake capacity for 101,043 MBBS, 45,471 MD, MS and PG Diploma, 4,997 DM and MCh seats.

Also Read: 101,043 MBBS, 45,471 MD, MS, PG Diploma, 4,997 SS seats available across 660 medical colleges in India

Now another 50 new medical colleges have been added to the country resulting in a huge increase of undergraduate medical seats. This comes at a time when the medical aspirants in the country are concerned about the derecognition of several medical colleges.

Sources informed PTI that the recognition of 38 medical colleges across the country was withdrawn in the last two-and-a-half-months during inspections by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board of the National Medical Commission (NMC) for allegedly not following the prescribed standards. Further, show-cause notices have been issued to 102 medical colleges, they added.

Of the 38 medical colleges, 24 have appealed to the NMC while six have now approached the health minister.The colleges that have lost recognition are allowed to appeal once with the NMC and then with the health ministry after rectifying the deficiencies and inadequacies.The sources said the colleges were not found to be complying with the set norms and several lapses related to CCTV cameras, Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance procedures and faculty rolls were noticed during the inspections carried out by the UG board of the commission.

Earlier this year, MoS Health had informed the Parliament that there is an increase of 71% in Medical Colleges from 387 before 2014 to 660 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 97% in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 101,043 as of now, out of which 52,778 are available in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and 48,265 seats are available in Private Medical Colleges.

In addition, there is an increase of 110% in PG and SS seats from a combined total of 31,185 before 2014 to 65,335 as of now, which includes, 13,246 Diplomate of National Board (DNB) / Fellowship of National Board (FNB) PG seats and 1621 PG seats in College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS).

To boost the number of doctors in the country, the government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently, that of MBBS seats, Pawar had said.

Also Read: Medical Education in Jeopardy: 40 medical colleges lose NMC recognition over non-compliance, 100 more under scanner