Dr. B.N. Gangadhar, Chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC), has highlighted a critical mismatch between MBBS and postgraduate (PG) medical seats in India. While over 1 lakh MBBS seats are available, PG seats remain far fewer, creating a bottleneck that contributes to resident burnout and training deficiencies.
Speaking at a policy dialogue hosted by the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), Dr. Gangadhar stressed that expansion of medical education must be strategic, equitable, and focused on quality. He pointed out that many institutions continue PG training with limited faculty despite rising patient loads, which compromises both learning and patient care.
Faculty shortages, especially in government hospitals, remain a major hurdle to PG seat expansion. He called for better use of hospital infrastructure and a shift in focus from just increasing seats to improving educational outcomes through committed faculty, modern infrastructure, and rigorous assessments.
Dr. Gangadhar also warned against unplanned growth in PG seats, especially in private institutions, which are rapidly expanding due to regulatory relaxations. He noted that while private colleges are aggressively increasing intakes, many government colleges with large hospitals are still restricted due to outdated seat caps.
He concluded by urging public-private collaboration and a balanced approach that aligns medical seat expansion with faculty strength, training quality, and healthcare needs.
