Interactive | NMC cap on MBBS seats: A state-wise status report

The National Medical Commission took a couple of decisions recently that will effectively bar states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana (in fact, all states in the South), which have more advanced medical education infrastructure, from building more medical colleges, either government or private, or adding more seats. The decisions were published in the Gazette of India on August 16, under the “Guidelines for undergraduate courses under the establishment of new medical institutions, starting of new medical courses, and increase of seats for existing course and assessment and rating regulation 2023”. 

The NMC has barred medical colleges from adding more than 150 MBBS seats in the existing colleges. However, colleges that applied for increased seats for the academic year 2023-24 can ask for the same number (200 or 250) as it was in their previous application only for one time next year.

The other important decision is that medical colleges will not have more than 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population in the respective states. For instance, Tamil Nadu has a population of over 8 crore, which effectively means it is allowed to have 8,000 seats. But it already has more than 10,000 seats in some 70-odd medical colleges. The same is the case in others states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

On the other hand, states such as Uttar Pradesh have just half the number of required seats, while some, like Gujarat, have just about enough seats. The interactive map below shows the status of each state. Click on each state to get the picture.