Summary
The Government of India has approved the establishment of 43 new medical colleges across the country for the academic year 2025–26.
The expansion of medical colleges and seats is part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen medical education capacity and improve access to healthcare professionals across the country.
The Government of India has approved the establishment of 43 new medical colleges across the country for the academic year 2025–26, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel informed the Rajya Sabha. The announcement was made in a written reply regarding the expansion of medical education infrastructure in India.
Citing information provided by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the minister said that 11,682 undergraduate MBBS seats and 8,967 postgraduate (PG) seats have been approved nationwide for the same academic year. The total includes seats in institutions such as the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other Institutes of National Importance (INIs).
According to Patel, the NMC invites online applications annually from medical colleges and educational institutions across India seeking permission to establish new medical colleges or expand the number of undergraduate and postgraduate seats. After receiving the applications, the commission conducts detailed scrutiny and assessments before approving.
The approval process involves issuing either a Letter of Permission (LoP) or a Letter of Disapproval (LoD) after evaluating proposals in accordance with established regulations and standards. These include the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, the Minimum Standard Requirements for Undergraduate Courses (UGMSR), 2023, and the Minimum Standard Requirements for Postgraduate Courses (PGMSR), 2023, along with other guidelines issued periodically by the NMC.
The minister also highlighted that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) aimed at setting up new medical colleges attached to existing district or referral hospitals. The scheme prioritises underserved regions and aspirational districts where there are currently no government or private medical colleges.
Under this initiative, funding is shared between the central and state governments. The cost-sharing ratio is 90:10 for North-Eastern and special category states, while for other states, the ratio stands at 60:40.
Patel further stated that 157 medical colleges have been approved in three phases under the scheme, with a total sanctioned cost of ₹41,332.41 crore. Of this amount, the central government’s share is ₹26,715.84 crore, and ₹23,246.10 crore has already been released to support the development of these institutions.
The expansion of medical colleges and seats is part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen medical education capacity and improve access to healthcare professionals across the country, particularly in regions that currently face shortages of medical institutions and trained doctors.
Last updated on 12 Mar 2026
