The National Medical Commission (NMC) has said that India may see an overall increase of nearly 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats in the current academic year. According to NMC chairperson Dr. Abhijat Sheth, inspections of medical colleges are already underway and the process is being given top priority. PG counselling is expected in September, and new seats are also likely to be added.
Counselling for NEET-UG has already completed its first round, while the second round is expected to begin on August 25. Earlier, there were concerns about a possible reduction in seats after the CBI unearthed a major corruption case in July involving officials from the Union Health Ministry, NMC, intermediaries and private medical colleges. Following this, the NMC had temporarily paused approvals for new seats and courses.
Speaking to PTI, Dr. Sheth explained, We have prioritised inspections for UG medical seats, and assessments are in progress. Based on applications received this year, we expect an addition of nearly 8,000 seats across UG and PG levels.
Currently, India has 1,18,098 MBBS seats (59,782 in government and 58,316 in private colleges) and 53,960 PG seats (30,029 in government and 23,931 in private). While some UG seats may temporarily reduce due to the inquiry, Dr. Sheth assured that the overall number will eventually increase once inspections are complete.
On the much-debated National Exit Test (NExT) for MBBS students, Dr. Sheth said the exam is a “novel concept” but requires consensus among stakeholders before being implemented. He highlighted key challenges:
- Transitioning from state-level exams to a centralised system,
- Deciding the difficulty level, and
- Creating a positive perception of the exam among students and faculty.
He stressed that student concerns must be addressed first, adding, The exam is meant to be a fair assessment, not a difficult one. Awareness and confidence-building are necessary before rollout.
Addressing concerns about the quality of medical education amidst the rapid increase in medical colleges since 2014, Dr. Sheth said numbers and quality must go hand in hand. The NMC is strengthening accreditation to ensure minimum standards in faculty, infrastructure, and clinical training are maintained.
He also spoke about introducing a “phydigital model” combining physical training with digital and virtual learning tools to enhance competency-based medical education.
Further, Dr. Sheth underlined the need for integration of private and government hospitals to optimise clinical exposure for students. We want to tap into resources available across both sectors to improve training, he said, adding that the NMC is committed to innovation, integration, and strong implementation of reforms in medical education.
