NMC rule to cap MBBS seats per population deferred for two academic years 2024-26: Health Minister tells Parliament
New Delhi: The Union government has clarified that the National Medical Commission's (NMC) directive to cap MBBS seats based on state population norms will not be enforced for the two academic years of 2024-25 and 2025-26.
"The implementation of capping MBBS seats by the National Medical Commission (NMC) has been deferred for the academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26," Union Health Minister JP Nadda told the Rajya Sabha recently.
According to the PTI report, the health minister was responding to a question on whether the government has noted concerns that the NMC's 2023 directive to cap MBBS seats at 100 per 10 lakh population in a state will adversely impact the southern states, including Kerala, which have already exceeded this ratio, and if the NMC has permanently withdrawn the said directive.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) is the apex statutory body constituted by an Act of Parliament, entrusted with the responsibility of regulating and overseeing medical education and practice across the country, Nadda said.
In September 2023, releasing the "Guidelines for Under Graduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023", the Apex Medical Commission prescribed a ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population.
These Guidelines mentioned, "After A.Y. 2023-24, Letter of permission (LOP) for starting of new medical colleges shall be issued only for annual intake capacity of 50/100/150 seats; Provided that medical college shall follow the ratio of 100 MBBS seats for 10 lakh population in that state/ U.T."
As a result of this new norm, several southern states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana became ineligible to apply for any new medical college or MBBS seats. Later, the plan was deferred.
