The National Medical Commission has approved 41 new medical colleges and 10,650 new MBBS seats for the 2024-25 academic year.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 10,650 new MBBS seats for the 2024-25 academic year. This increase is part of a comprehensive strategy to expand access to medical education in India. NMC chief Dr. Abhijat Sheth stated that the addition of 41 new medical colleges brings the total number of medical institutions in the country to 816. He added that a total of 10,650 MBBS seats have been approved.

This will increase the total number of MBBS seats for the 2024-25 academic year to 137,600, including seats in Institutes of National Importance (INIs). For postgraduate (PG) courses, the NMC has received over 3,500 applications for new and renewed seats.

'Expecting an increase of approximately 5,000 PG seats'

Dr. Sheth stated that the Commission expects an increase of approximately 5,000 PG seats, bringing the total number of PG seats nationwide to 67,000. The total increase in both UG and PG seats this year will be approximately 15,000. There have been some delays in the final approval process and consultations, although officials have assured that these processes will be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

A blueprint detailing the schedule for accreditation, examinations, and seat matrix approval for the upcoming academic year will be published soon. Additionally, the portal for applications for the 2025-26 academic year is scheduled to open in early November. Dr. Sheth specifically highlighted that this year, for the first time in recent history, all appeals against the decisions of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) were disposed of without any court intervention.