The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced that 43 new medical colleges have been established across the country for the Academic Year 2025–26, as informed by the National Medical Commission (NMC). For the same academic year, the Government has approved a total of 11,682 MBBS seats and 8,967 postgraduate seats, including those in AIIMS and other Institutes of National Importance.
NMC invites online applications each year from medical colleges and institutions for the establishment of new colleges as well as for the increase of undergraduate and postgraduate seats. Letters of Permission or Letters of Disapproval are issued after a detailed process of scrutiny and assessment carried out in accordance with the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, the Minimum Standard Requirement for Undergraduate Courses (UGMSR), 2023, the Minimum Standard Requirement for Postgraduate Courses (PGMSR), 2023, and other relevant norms and guidelines notified by the NMC from time to time.
The Ministry also highlighted progress under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges attached to existing district or referral hospitals, with priority accorded to underserved regions and aspirational districts where neither Government nor private medical colleges exist. Under this Scheme, 157 medical colleges have been approved in three phases with a total sanctioned cost of ₹41,332.41 crore. Of the approved central share of ₹26,715.84 crore, an amount of ₹23,246.10 crore has been released to the States so far. Funding under the Scheme follows a sharing pattern of 90:10 for North Eastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for all other States.
The Ministry stated that these efforts are part of an ongoing initiative to expand medical education infrastructure, enhance availability of healthcare professionals, and strengthen service delivery across the country.
