In a major push to strengthen India’s healthcare workforce, the Centre has approved the addition of 10,023 new medical seats across government institutions, including 5,000 postgraduate (PG) seats and 5,023 MBBS seats. The move is expected to significantly expand training capacity for doctors and specialists over the next few years.

Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda informed Parliament that Phase-III of a Centrally Sponsored Scheme has been cleared to upgrade existing State and Central government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes and government hospitals. The expansion will be implemented from 2025-26 to 2028-29.

Focus On Specialists And Infrastructure

Of the total new seats, 5,000 will be postgraduate positions aimed at addressing the acute shortage of specialists across the country. Another 5,023 MBBS seats will be created through the upgradation of government medical colleges, increasing opportunities for undergraduate medical education.

To support the expansion, the cost ceiling has been raised to Rs 1.50 crore per seat, reflecting the rising expenses associated with infrastructure, equipment and faculty requirements. The scheme seeks to strengthen existing institutions rather than rely solely on building new ones, allowing faster implementation.

States and Union Territories have been directed to submit Detailed Project Reports along with a gap analysis. The guidelines emphasise prioritising underserved and rural regions, where shortages of doctors and medical facilities remain most severe.

Regulatory Reforms To Support Expansion

Alongside increasing seats, the government has introduced regulatory changes to ease capacity growth. The National Medical Commission has notified updated education and faculty regulations, broadened eligibility criteria for teaching staff and recognised additional hospitals as teaching institutions.

These reforms are intended to remove long-standing bottlenecks that have limited expansion in medical education, particularly the shortage of qualified faculty and training facilities.

By allowing more hospitals to function as teaching centres, authorities hope to accelerate the creation of both undergraduate and postgraduate seats while maintaining training standards.

Boost For Aspirants And Healthcare System

Demand for medical seats in India has consistently outstripped supply, with lakhs of students competing annually for limited MBBS and PG positions. The addition of over 10,000 seats is expected to ease pressure on admissions in upcoming academic cycles.

Officials say the initiative will not only benefit students but also strengthen the country’s healthcare system by producing more doctors and specialists. Improving regional equity is a key objective, ensuring that underserved areas gain access to trained medical professionals.

As India faces growing healthcare needs driven by population growth, ageing demographics and rising disease burden, the expansion is being seen as a critical step toward building a stronger and more resilient medical workforce pipeline.

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