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India’s medical education framework has seen a notable expansion in MBBS seat capacity over the last few years, yet a substantial portion of those seats remains unfilled, according to fresh figures presented in Lok Sabha on August 1 by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The total number of MBBS seats in India grew from 83,275 during the 2020- 21 academic year to 115,900 by 2024-25, reflecting a 39% expansion. Still, 2,849 undergraduate seats remained vacant in 2024- 25, excluding AIIMS and JIPMER institutes. While that is a decline from the peak of 4,146 vacant seats in 2022- 23, the unfilled positions highlight continuous imbalances between demand and supply.
Lawmakers claim that the opening of new medical schools, as well as improvements to faculty availability and facilities, were the primary factors responsible for the rise. In order to improve quality even as the number of seats increases, the NMC’s Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations, which went into effect in 2023, specify the infrastructure, instructional materials, and clinical supplies that schools must have in order to be authorized.
Experts argue that although the number of seats has grown, academic and institutional standards have not stayed up to mark, limiting institutions from filling all of the authorized seats. The number of available seats was further reduced in practice when a number of private colleges had their permits cancelled for not meeting inspection requirements.
The central government has urged state authorities and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to undertake vacancy counselling and minimise seat wastage. In previous years, special “stray vacancy” counselling rounds filled a portion of unclaimed positions, a mechanism expected to be repeated in 2025 if vacancies persist.
As NEET‑UG candidates continue to outnumber available MBBS seats by large margins, the continuous gap between capacity and actual utilisation highlights systemic challenges in aligning infrastructure expansion with educational quality and institutional accreditation.
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