GMCH Chandigarh gets NMC nod for 50 more MBBS seats
Chandigarh: In a significant move to strengthen undergraduate medical education in Chandigarh, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has recently approved increasing the number of MBBS seats at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh, from 150 to 200, starting from the 2026-27 academic session.
This move will enable more aspiring doctors to undergo training at the region's leading government institutions, thereby improving access to quality medical education.
According to the TOI media news report, the proposal to increase the number of seats was initiated after the Supreme Court directed the Chandigarh administration to implement 27% reservation for Other Backwards Classes (OBC).
The order issued in July 2025 in the Dhruvi Yadav vs. Government of India case mandated compliance without reducing the number of seats available for the general category. To fulfil this directive, the administration recommended increasing the intake by 50 seats and forwarded the proposal to the NMC.
This matter was discussed at the level of the Punjab Governor and the UT Administrator. After a consensus was reached on the need to comply with the Supreme Court's directive, the proposal was formally submitted to the NMC.
Apart from the need for reservations, the administration also argued that GMCH-32 requires more staff given the rising number of patients. The hospital receives patients from Chandigarh and neighbouring states. Therefore, officials maintained that a larger student body would yield more interns, thereby strengthening emergency services and improving patient care.
GMCH currently has 1,198 beds, including emergency and trauma facilities, and possesses adequate clinical infrastructure in accordance with Medical Council of India norms. The institute also has sufficient faculty to handle the increased number of students.
The additional seats will create a large pool of graduates eligible for additional postgraduate courses. In turn, this will help address the shortage of medical specialists in the region. The initiative was in the public interest, as it would enhance healthcare delivery and community health outcomes.
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