The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), currently offering about 17,000 postgraduate (PG) medical seats, is working towards expanding this number to 25,000 in the coming years, according to Dr. Abhijat Sheth, President of NBEMS under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Speaking at the annual convocation of a deemed university, Dr. Sheth shared insights with TOI on the board’s efforts to expand PG medical education, the reasoning behind the controversial two-shift format for the entrance exam, and the emphasis on increasing seats in high-demand specialties.
Dr. Sheth, who played a key role in boosting the number of NBEMS PG seats from around 4,500 in 2016 to 17,000 currently, credited the progress to reforms such as simplifying the accreditation process and removing unnecessary hurdles.
“Our goal is to reach at least 25,000 PG seats by 2030,” he stated, noting that the board is also prioritizing achieving a 1:1 ratio between undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats. He emphasized that such a ratio would not only improve access to healthcare professionals but also raise the standard of medical education and services across the country a benchmark already achieved in many developed nations.
In addition to increasing seat capacity, Dr. Sheth highlighted the importance of strengthening skill-based training, digital learning, and faculty development. “With the growing complexity of diseases and medical treatments, traditional classroom teaching must be supplemented with hands-on skills and virtual learning platforms,” he said.
On the topic of the NEET PG entrance exam, which faced criticism for being held in two shifts, Dr. Sheth explained the change was based on recommendations by the K. Radhakrishnan Committee in 2024. The committee advised holding the exam only in government-approved and TCS-authorized centres. This led to a reduction in test centres from 1,000 to 450, making a single-shift exam unfeasible.
To address national healthcare needs, NBEMS also plans to expand both PG and diploma programmes in critical areas such as medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and critical care. “We’ve already increased the number of diploma courses from nine to ten,” Dr. Sheth added, underlining the growing demand for these specialties across India.
