1,39,489 MBBS seats in India, 47,886 added in the last 5 years: Health Ministry
New Delhi: India's total MBBS seat count has increased from 99,463 in the 2022-23 academic year to 1,39,489 in 2026-27, with 47,886 seats added over the last five years.
In the current 2026-27 academic year alone, 10,513 new MBBS seats have been added, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda recently informed the parliament in a written reply.
The Minister shared the information while responding to a question on whether the government has reviewed the impact of NEET-based admissions on availability of medical seats for students from rural and regional language backgrounds, any requests from States for greater flexibility in admissions to Government medical colleges, the number of MBBS seats added in Government medical colleges during the last five years, State/UT-wise and steps taken to ensure fair and transparent medical admissions.
As per the reply, the Minister said Section 14 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019 provides for the National Eligibility-Entrance Test (NEET) as the common entrance examination for medical admissions, which can be conducted through a designated authority.
"NEET (UG) serves as the common entrance examination for admission to MBBS/ BDS/ BAMS/ BSMS/ BUMS/ BHMS and other Under-Graduate medical courses in approved/recognized Medical/Dental /AYUSH and other Colleges/ Deemed Universities/Institutes (AIIMS & JIPMER) in India. The NEET (UG) is conducted in the following 13 languages: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu," he said.
According to the written reply, 7,398 MBBS seats were added in the 2022-23 academic year, followed by 9,652 seats in 2023-24, 8,641 seats in 2024-25, 11,682 seats in 2025-26 and 10,513 seats in 2026-27.
The academic year (A.Y.) wise number of Undergraduate (MBBS) seats increased in the last five years is as under:
| S.No. | Academic Year | No of UG seats increased (Academic year wise) | Total No. of UG (MBBS) seats in the Country |
| 1. | 2022-23 | 7,398 | 99,463 |
| 2 | 2023-24 | 9,652 | 1,09,115 |
| 3 | 2024-25 | 8,641 | 1,17,756 |
| 4 | 2025-26 | 11,682 | 1,28,976 |
| 5 | 2026-27 | 10,513 | 1,39,489 |
The Minister further said, "The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) conducts the counselling for seats of undergraduate (UG/MBBS) and postgraduate (PG) medical courses as per the scheme devised by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. Counselling for UG covers 15% all India quota seats; 100% seats of Central Institutes/ Universities, Deemed Universities; 100% seats in all the Institutes of National Importance (INI). Counselling for PG courses covers 50% seats of All India Quota seats, 100% seats of Central Institutes/Universities and Deemed Universities. Counselling for the State quota seats in UG and PG medical courses is conducted by the respective State Governments."
Also read- MBBS seats in India increased to 1,28,976 from 51,348 since 2013: MoS Health tells Parliament
