Over 2800 MBBS seats go unfilled in 2024 despite 39% rise due to...

Even with a sharp rise in the number of MBBS seats over the past few years, many undergraduate medical seats in India remain unfilled. Data from the National Medical Commission (NMC), presented in the Lok Sabha on 1 August by Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, reveals the ongoing challenge. The question was raised by Telugu Desam Party MP Putta Mahesh Kumar. Between 2020–21 and 2024–25, MBBS seats increased by nearly 39%, going from 83,275 to 1,15,900. This growth came from setting up new medical colleges and improving facilities and faculty. However, the number of vacant seats tells another story. In 2021–22, there were 2,012 empty seats (excluding AIIMS and JIPMER). The figure peaked at 4,146 in 2022–23, before dropping slightly to 2,849 in 2024–25.

The government has introduced the Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations, 2023 to ensure quality medical education. These rules set out the minimum requirements for infrastructure, clinical materials, faculty, and other essential facilities for running a medical college.

States Leading in Medical Seats
The growth in seats has been spread across most states, with Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat now at the top. For example, Uttar Pradesh increased seats from 7,428 in 2020–21 to 12,325 in 2024–25, while Tamil Nadu went from 8,000 to 12,000. Smaller states and Union Territories, like Nagaland, have also seen gains, with Nagaland introducing MBBS seats for the first time.

Government Efforts to Expand Capacity
Several steps have been taken to expand capacity and improve infrastructure:

Under a centrally sponsored scheme, district and referral hospitals in underserved areas are being upgraded to medical colleges. Of 157 approved colleges under this scheme, 131 are already operational.

Existing state and central government medical colleges are being strengthened to add more MBBS and postgraduate seats.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 75 super speciality block projects have been approved, with 71 completed.

The central government has also approved 22 new AIIMS institutions, with undergraduate courses already running in 19 of them.

While India has made rapid progress in expanding medical education, the data shows that simply increasing seats may not be enough. Addressing the reasons behind vacant seats, such as accessibility, affordability, and distribution, remains key to ensuring that the country produces enough doctors for its growing population.