Despite a substantial increase in the number of MBBS seats across the country, a significant number of undergraduate medical seats have remained vacant in the recent academic years, the Union Government has admitted in the Lok Sabha.
Responding to a question from Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said that 2,012 undergraduate medical seats went unfilled in 2021–22, followed by 4,146 in 2022–23, 2,959 in 2023–24, and 2,849 in 2024–25. These figures, sourced from the National Medical Commission, exclude AIIMS and JIPMER institutions.
The Union Minister emphasised that while the government increased the MBBS seats by 39% in the last five years — from 83,275 in 2020–21 to 1,15,900 in 2024–25 — vacancies persist, underscoring concerns around access, affordability, and distribution of institutions.
To enhance quality, the Centre introduced the ‘Minimum Standard Requirements–2023’, mandating infrastructure norms such as a 220-bed hospital for every 50 students and compulsory rural and urban clinical training.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 157 new medical colleges had been approved, with 131 operational, and 75 super-speciality projects sanctioned, of which 71 were complete. Additionally, 19 out of 22 new AIIMS had commenced undergraduate courses.
These efforts, the Union Minister said, demonstrate the Centre’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure and access to quality medical education across India.
