The Government’s resolute efforts to fortify the nation’s healthcare infrastructure have yielded remarkable progress in expanding medical education facilities across the country. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), a substantial augmentation in the number of government medical colleges has been achieved, with 108 out of 157 approved medical colleges now operational in various phases.
Statistics revealed a staggering increase in both medical colleges and MBBS seats, showcasing an 82% surge in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to an impressive count of 706 presently. Likewise, MBBS seats have witnessed an extraordinary escalation, soaring by 112% from 51,348 to 1,08,848.
Several pivotal measures undertaken by the Government have propelled the growth of medical education and bolstered medical standards nationwide. These initiatives include schemes aimed at upgrading existing government medical colleges, augmenting undergraduate and postgraduate seats, and establishing new medical colleges. Under the ambitious “Upgradation of Government medical colleges by construction of Super Specialty Blocks” of the PMSSY scheme, 75 projects have been sanctioned, with 64 successfully completed.
The establishment of 22 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) under the Central Sector Scheme stands as a testament to the Government’s commitment to enhancing healthcare education. Notably, undergraduate courses have commenced in 19 of these prestigious institutions.
Additionally, the Government has introduced relaxation in norms for setting up medical colleges, acknowledging the shortage of faculty by recognizing DNB (Diplomate of National Board) qualification for teaching positions. The age limit for appointments in key medical college roles has been extended up to 70 years, further addressing staffing constraints.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare oversees the CSS focusing on establishing new medical colleges, particularly in underserved areas and aspirational districts. The Centre collaborates with state governments, with funding ratios set at 90:10 for North Eastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for others.
Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, highlighted these significant milestones in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, affirming the Government’s unwavering commitment to bolstering medical education infrastructure and accessibility across the nation.
State-wise details of 157 Medical Colleges approved under the Centrally Sponsored scheme for ‘Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals’
S.No | State/UT | Districts | ||
Phase-I (58) | ||||
1 | A & N Islands | Port Blair | ||
2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun | ||
3 | Assam | Dhubri, Nagaon, North Lakhimpur, Diphu | ||
4 | Bihar | Purnia, Saran (Chhapara), Samastipur | ||
5 | Chhattisgarh | Rajnandgaon, Sarguja | ||
6 | Himachal Pradesh | Chamba, Hamirpur, Nahan (Sirmour) | ||
7 | Haryana | Bhiwani | ||
8 | Jharkhand | Dumka, Hazaribagh, Palamu (Daltonganj) | ||
9 | Jammu & Kashmir | Anantnag, Baramulla, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua | ||
10 | Madhya Pradesh | Datia, Khandwa, Ratlam, Shahdol, Vidisha, Chindwara, Shivpuri | ||
11 | Maharashtra | Gondia | ||
12 | Meghalaya | West Garo Hills (Tura) | ||
13 | Mizoram | Falkawn | ||
14 | Nagaland | Naga Hospital (Kohima) | ||
15 | Odisha | Balasore, Baripada (Mayurbhanj), Bolangir, Koraput, Puri | ||
16 | Punjab | SAS Nagar | ||
17 | Rajasthan | Barmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Churu, Dungarpur, Pali, Sikar | ||
18 | Uttar Pradesh | Basti, Faizabad, Firozabad, Shahjahanpur, Bahraich | ||
19 | Uttarakhand | Almora | ||
20 | West Bengal | Birbhum (Rampur Hat), Cooch behar, Diamond harbour, Purulia, Raiganj (North Dinajpur) | ||
Phase –II (24) | ||||
1 | Bihar | Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Siwan, Buxar, Jamui | ||
2 | Jharkhand | Koderma, Chaibasa (Singhbhum) | ||
3 | Madhya Pradesh | Satna | ||
4 | Odisha | Jajpur | ||
5 | Rajasthan | Dholpur | ||
6 | Uttar Pradesh | Etah, Hardoi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Siddharthnagar (Domariyaganj), Deoria, Ghazipur, Mirzapur | ||
7 | West Bengal | Barasat, Uluberia, Arambagh, Jhargram, Tamluk | ||
8 | Sikkim | Gangtok | ||
Phase-III (75) | ||||
1 | Andhra Pradesh | Piduguralla, Paderu, Machilipatnam | ||
2 | Assam | Kokrajhar | ||
3 | Chhattisgarh | Korba, Mahasamund, Kanker | ||
4 | Gujarat | Narmada, Navsari, Panchmahal, Porbandar, Morbi | ||
5 | Jammu & Kashmir | Udhampur, Handwara (Distt. Kupwara) | ||
6 | Karnataka | Chikkamagaluru, Haveri, Yadgiri, Chikkaballapura | ||
7 | Ladakh | Leh | ||
8 | Madhya Pradesh | Rajgarh, Mandla, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Sheopur, Singrauli | ||
9 | Maharashtra | Nandurbar | ||
10 | Manipur | Churachandpur | ||
11 | Nagaland | Mon | ||
12 | Odisha | Kalahandi | ||
13 | Punjab | Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur | ||
14 | Rajasthan | Alwar, Baran, Bansawara, Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer, Karauli,
Nagaur, Shri Ganganagar, Sirohi, Bundi, SawaiMadhopur, Tonk, Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, Dausa |
||
15 | Uttarakhand | Rudrapur (Distt. Udham Singh Nagar), Pithoragarh, Haridwar | ||
16 | Uttar Pradesh | Bijnaur, Kushinagar, Sultanpur, Gonda, Lalitpur, LakhimpurKheri, Chandauli, Bulandshahar, Sonbhadra, Pilibhit, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kaushambi, Amethi | ||
17 | Tamil Nadu | Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Dindigul,
Virudhunagar, Krishnagiri, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Ariyalur, Kallakurichi |
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18 | West Bengal | Jalpaiguri | ||