NEET UG & PG Seats: The Indian government moves to address the increasing demand for doctors by expanding the number of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical seats nationwide. Total MBBS seats are now increased to 1,18,190 and PG medical seats to 74,306, Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare recently announced in Parliament. This expansion is a part of the government policy regarding enhancing India's healthcare infrastructure by increasing the number of competent doctors.
This comes as part of the government's 2025 budget wherein it expressed its intention to add 75,000 seats in the medical colleges over the next five years. The project aims to satisfy India's healthcare needs by addressing the growing demand for doctors and the limited number of available seats.
The goal for boosting medical seats includes establishing new medical colleges and upgrading current ones. Importantly, there has been an increase of 101.5% in the number of medical colleges since 2014, from 387 to 780. This broadening has to a great extent encouraged a 130% ascend in MBBS seats from 51,348 to 1,18,190, and a 138% increment in PG seats from 31,185 to 74,306.
The government's proposal to expand medical education infrastructure includes the addition of 13,436 new medical seats in the 2024-25 academic year. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to enhance the government medical colleges in the underserved areas.
While building and expanding the infrastructure, adequate investments must be made in the recruitment of faculty to adhere to the quality of education. All curricula, pedagogical methods, and professional development opportunities need to be refreshed.
The key agenda of the government is to strengthen the healthcare system of the country by increasing the number of competent Specialists to meet the changing population's needs.
