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Despite facing opposition, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has stood firm on its decision to limit the number of MBBS seats in each State/UT to a ratio of 100 seats per 10 lakh population. In a press release, the Apex Medical Commission stated that this choice was made after considering court rulings on overcrowding in medical colleges. The Commission believes that this decision will help reduce regional disparities in the availability of healthcare professionals. They also noted that if medical colleges are evenly distributed, there is still potential to add around 40,000 MBBS seats nationwide.
The Apex Medical Commission has released the “Guidelines for Undergraduate Courses under Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023,” which prescribe a ratio of 100 MBBS seats per million population after the academic year 2023-24. The guidelines state that new medical colleges will only receive permission for annual intake capacities of 50, 100, or 150 seats, provided they adhere to the 100 MBBS seats for 10 lakh population ratio in their respective state or UT.
While all Southern States, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, have opposed these new NMC regulations for establishing new medical colleges, Kerala has decided to seek relaxation based on specific requirements. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has also expressed strong opposition to the NMC mandate in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Despite opposition from the states, the NMC reaffirmed its earlier decision in a recent press release. The release emphasized the commitment of the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the Commission to providing a medical education system that enhances access to quality and affordable medical education, ensures the availability of sufficient and high-quality medical professionals across the country, promotes equitable and universal healthcare, and makes medical professionals’ services accessible to all citizens.
The Commission cited various court observations on overcrowding in medical colleges, referencing a specific case in the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court. Taking these considerations into account and with the aim of providing an optimal learning environment for medical students and enhancing the overall quality of education, the decision to limit undergraduate seats in each state to 100 per million population was included in the recently notified MSR guidelines for 2023.
The NMC anticipates that this decision will lead to the addition of another 40,000 MBBS seats in India, which will further mitigate regional disparities in the availability of healthcare professionals and contribute to the effective quality of education. They also noted that with this ratio, there is still the potential to add about 40,000 MBBS seats in the country if medical colleges are distributed evenly.
The Commission also mentioned that this decision has received praise from various state branches of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), student associations, and the medical community at large. The NMC expressed its commitment to continuing efforts to enhance the quality of medical training in the country.
