MBBS Seats Surge: Over 10,000 New Medical Seats Approved in Government Colleges

The Government of India has approved the addition of 10,023 new undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical seats in government medical colleges, a move set to strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce. The increased seats will benefit students enrolling in the next academic session.

Boost to Medical Education

India has long faced intense competition for medical seats, particularly in government colleges. To address the shortage, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sanctioned over 10,000 new seats between the 2025–26 and 2028–29 academic years. Detailed allocation of these seats for UG and PG courses will be released ahead of the upcoming session.

Five-Year Growth in Medical Seats

Over the past five years, India has added 48,563 MBBS seats and 29,080 MD/MS seats, totaling more than 77,600 new medical seats nationwide. Year-on-year data shows a steady increase:

• UG seats (MBBS): 2,963 in 2020–21 → 11,119 in 2025–26
• PG seats (MD/MS): 4,983 in 2020–21 → 7,619 in 2025–26

This expansion aims to reduce the doctor-to-population gap, particularly in states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Current Medical Seat Strength in India

As of the 2025 academic year, India has a total of 1,28,875 MBBS seats, including 65,193 in government colleges and 63,682 in private institutions. PG seats have risen from 31,185 to 80,291, including 17,707 DNB, DRNB, FNB, and post-MBBS diploma seats.

Ensuring Quality and Standardization

The National Medical Commission (NMC), India’s apex regulatory body for medical education, has introduced frameworks to maintain high standards in training, infrastructure, and clinical education. These include:

• Minimum Standards Requirements (MSR)
• Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) 2023
• Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER) 2023
• Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum Guidelines 2024

These initiatives ensure uniform quality across medical colleges nationwide.

State Minister of Health, Anupriya Patel, shared these details in the Rajya Sabha on December 16, 2025, emphasizing that expanding medical seats will improve access to medical education and help meet India’s growing demand for healthcare professionals.