UG/PG medical seats need to significantly increase, says Parliamentary Panel

The Parliamentary Panel also recommended to the Union Health Ministry that it is important to make optimal use of the existing infrastructure.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has said that both undergraduate and postgraduate medical course seats must be significantly increased.

It stated, “With an annual influx of approximately 2 million aspiring medical students at UG and only 1/20 times available seats, the demand far exceeds the availability of seats. Similarly, the number of available seats at PG level is far less than the demand," as reported by Tribune India.

The current situation regarding medical seats both in undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses is a critical issue that requires immediate attention, said the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its 157th report "Quality of Medical Education in India" presented in Rajya Sabha.

The permission for an increase in MBBS seats will be granted for 50, 100 and 150 seats from the academic year 2024-25. The Committee also said that it is important to make optimal use of the existing infrastructure.

The committee also said to encourage private investment in medical education.

There are 702 medical colleges in the country in 2023-24, up by 81% from 387 in 2013-14. Similarly, the number of seats for the undergraduate course (MBBS) has been increased by almost 110% from 51,348 in 2013-14 to 1,08,990 in 2023-24, whereas the number of postgraduate seats has been increased by almost 118% from 31,185 to 68,073 from 2013-14 to 2023-24, according to the data by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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