NMC approves 10,650 additional MBBS seats across 41 medical colleges

new delhi: the national medical commission (nmc) has approved 10,650 new mbbs seats across 41 medical colleges in the country, further expanding india's medical education capacity.nmc chairman dr. abhijat sheth said the move is part of a phased plan to increase the number of medical colleges and undergraduate seats in line with prime minister narendra modi's 2024 independence day announcement to create 75,000 additional medical seats within five years.with the latest approval, the total number of medical colleges in india has risen to 816, and the number of mbbs seats has increased to 1,37,600. the commission received 170 applications from government and private colleges seeking to expand undergraduate medical courses.dr. sheth also said that around 3,500 applications were received for increasing postgraduate medical seats, and plans are underway to add 5,000 more pg seats, raising the total to 67,000.while acknowledging minor delays in the final approval and counselling process, he assured that all procedures would be completed within the stipulated schedule. a detailed roadmap for admissions and examinations for the next academic year will be released soon.the nmc will also open its application portal for the 2025-26 academic year next month. efforts are being made to integrate medical research into the core curriculum to enhance the quality and innovation of medical education, he added.