According to the seat matrix released by the regulator, 1,27,028 seats have been renewed, while the additional intake has been approved through a combination of newly established medical colleges and increased admissions at existing institutions. The revised seat matrix, excluding Institutes of National Importance such as AIIMS and JIPMER, covers 823 medical colleges — 441 government and 382 private — and will be used for this year’s counselling process.
The expansion comes as competition for medical education remains intense, with more than 22 lakh candidates appearing for NEET-UG annually, far outstripping the number of available MBBS seats.
Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) President M K Ramesh attributed the jump in capacity to the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which eased norms governing seat expansion.
Earlier, medical colleges could seek an increase in undergraduate intake only after their first batch had completed the full MBBS course. Under the revised regulations, institutions are allowed to apply from the second year onward, provided they meet the prescribed infrastructure and faculty requirements, he said.
Of the 9,911 newly approved seats, 2,400 are in 25 new medical colleges — including seven government and 18 private institutions — while 7,511 seats have been added through increased intake at existing colleges. Nearly 79% of the new seats have been approved for private medical colleges.
The higher intake is expected to strengthen India’s healthcare workforce. According to government estimates, the country’s doctor-population ratio currently stands at 1:811, better than the commonly cited benchmark of one doctor for every 1,000 people.The NMC, however, cautioned medical colleges against admitting students beyond their approved capacity, warning that violations would invite regulatory and penal action under the NMC Act, 2019. Institutions have also been directed to verify the approved seat matrix before counselling begins and report any discrepancies to the Medical Assessment and Rating Board.
(With inputs from TOI)