The information was shared by the Union Health Minister while responding to questions raised by Member of Parliament Bhavsaheb Rajaraman regarding the availability of medical seats, the number of applicants, and the steps being taken by the government to address unfilled seats in medical colleges. According to the minister, out of the 72 vacant AIQ MBBS seats, 26 seats are in government medical colleges, while 46 seats are in deemed universities.
Providing a broader overview of the medical education landscape in India, official data reveals that the country currently has a total of 65,193 government MBBS seats and 63,682 MBBS seats in private medical colleges. In addition to undergraduate seats, postgraduate medical education capacity has also seen significant growth. India now has 37,282 postgraduate seats in government institutions and 25,302 postgraduate seats in private institutions. This includes 17,707 seats under DNB, DRNB, and FMB post-MBBS diploma programmes, aimed at strengthening specialist and super-specialist training.
State-wise distribution of medical seats shows that Karnataka has emerged as the state with the highest overall medical intake capacity, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. These states continue to play a leading role in medical education by contributing a substantial share of undergraduate and postgraduate seats. On the other hand, several smaller and northeastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland still have only government-run medical colleges, with no private medical institutions currently operational.
Addressing concerns over seat shortages and regional imbalance, the Union Health Minister highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Through this scheme, the central government continues to approve capacity expansion in existing medical institutions, along with the establishment of new medical colleges, to meet the rising demand for medical education and healthcare professionals across the country.
The government reiterated its commitment to strengthening medical infrastructure, improving access to quality medical education, and ensuring an adequate supply of trained doctors to serve the healthcare needs of India’s growing population.