MBBS, PG seats in Indian medical colleges see massive increase: Government

NEW DELHI: The union minister of state for health and family welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar reported on the MBBS and PG seats in Indian medical colleges in Rajya Sabha today. Such seats have seen a massive increase where there is a 67% increase in medical colleges; 87% increase in MBBS seats and 105% increase in PG seats.

According to the data provided by Pawar, a total of 96,077 MBBS seats are currently available in the country out of which 51,712 seats are in government medical colleges while 44,365 belong to private medical colleges. As for PG seats, there are 49,790 seats of the national medical commission (NMC) available in the country. Out of these, 30,384 are in government medical colleges and 19,406 in private medical colleges.

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In addition to these, there are also 12,648 diplomate of national board (DNB) and fellowship of national board (FNB) PG seats out of which 4,185 in government institutions and 8,463 in private institutions while 1,621 PG seats are in the college of physicians and surgeons (CPS).

In terms of increase, the medical colleges witness an increase of 67% from 387 before 2014 to a total of 648 this year. There is an increase of 87% in the MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 96,077 and increase of 105% in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 64,059 as of now.

Measures taken by the government to expand medical education

• The central sector scheme for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district or referral hospital under which 94 out of 157 new medical colleges are already functional and approved.
• The central sector scheme for strengthening and upgrading existing state government and central government medical colleges to increase MBBS and PG seats.
• A central sector scheme for 'upgradation of government medical colleges by construction of super specialty blocks”, a total of 60 out of 75 such projects are complete.
• Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved in which 19 have began undergraduate courses.
• The government has relaxed the norms for setting up of medical colleges in terms of requirement for faculty, staff, bed strength and other infrastructure.
• The age limit for appointment, extension and re-employment against posts of teachers, dean, principal and directors in medical colleges have been extended up to 70 years.

To promote education in regional languages, the government of Madhya Pradesh also took the decision to impart medical education in Hindi as a pilot project.