New Delhi: There are a total of 1,07,948 MBBS seats in as many as 704 Medical Colleges spread across India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in the Lok Sabha Friday.
"The Government has increased number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats. There is an increase of 82% in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 704 as of now", Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said in the Lok Sabha.
"Further, there is an increase of 110% in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,07,948 as of now", he said.
In a written reply to AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi, Mandaviya said Postgraduate (PG) seats have also saw an increase of 110%.
"There is also an increase of 117% in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 67,802 as of now", he said.
In a separate response to question asked by MPs Mahabali Singh and Khagen Murmu, Dr Bharati Pawar, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said out of the total 1,07,948 MBBS seats in India, there are 56,283 MBBS seats in Government Medical colleges and 51,665 MBBS seats in Private Medical college for the year 2023-24.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare further said it administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for ‘Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals’ with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no existing Government or private medical college with fund sharing between the Centre and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for North Eastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for others.
"Under the Scheme, a total of 157 Government medical colleges have been approved in three phases, including 05 medical colleges in Assam. During the last five years, 101 medical colleges have been approved under the Scheme, including 01 medical college in Assam", the Ministry said.
Out of the 157 new government medical colleges approved under CSS, the government claimed, 107 are already functional.
Under “Upgradation of Government medical colleges by construction of Super Specialty Blocks” of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a total of 75 projects have been approved, of which 62 projects are complete.
"Under the Central Sector Scheme for setting up of new AIIMS, 22 AIIMS have been approved. Undergraduate courses have started in 19 of them", the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi's question to the government was related to medical colleges, that presumably not included BDS or Dental seats.
However, data available in the public domain showed there are a total of 26,949 BDS seats.
Besides, India also has 52,720 AYSH (BUMS, BHMS, BAMS) seats, and 603 BVSc & AH seats.
However, the total number of seats in Medical colleges in India is not sufficient to cater to meet the demand of medical courses. As only in 2023, a total of 11,45,976 candidates have qualified and passed NEET UG 2023 and are now seeking admission in medical colleges.
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