In a major boost to medical education capacity, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has sanctioned 10,650 additional MBBS seats for the 2025–26 academic year, increasing the total MBBS seat count to 1,37,600, including those in the Institutes of National Importance. The establishment of 41 new medical colleges has also raised the total number of medical institutions in the country to 816.
The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day pledge to create 75,000 new medical seats over five years.
According to NMC Chief Dr Abhijat Sheth, of the 170 applications received for the expansion of undergraduate (UG) seats — 41 from government colleges and 129 from private institutions — approvals were granted for a total of 10,650 MBBS seats.
For postgraduate (PG) education, the NMC has received over 3,500 applications for new and renewed seats. Dr Sheth noted that the Commission anticipates an increase of around 5,000 PG seats, which would bring the nationwide total to 67,000 PG seats. Overall, the combined rise in UG and PG medical seats this year is expected to be around 15,000.
Emphasizing the importance of educational quality, Dr Sheth stated that the NMC is exploring ways to integrate clinical research into the mainstream medical curriculum. He added that plans are underway for a collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to strengthen research infrastructure and promote clinical research within medical education.