Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has decided to establish 10 new BSc Nursing colleges, double the intake capacity of five existing ones, and upgrade eight General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) colleges into BSc Nursing institutions, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif said on Wednesday.
The expansion in nursing education is being done to address the growing need for skilled nurses in the state due to increasing healthcare requirements, the minister told the legislative assembly, citing a government resolution (GR) issued by his department.
According to the government, Maharashtra had 2,17,640 registered nurses in 2025, but the existing workforce was inadequate to meet the growing demand in government medical colleges, affiliated hospitals and private healthcare institutions.
The minister said 10 new government BSc Nursing colleges, each with an intake of 100 students, will be established in Chandrapur, Sindhudurg, Yavatmal, Alibag (Raigad), Ratnagiri, Amravati, Dharashiv, Gadchiroli, Palghar and Ahilyanagar.
The GR said a capital expenditure of Rs 334.80 crore has been approved for the new colleges. Three of them -- Yavatmal, Chandrapur and Sindhudurg -- will also receive central assistance under a nursing education scheme.
Under the decision, eight government GNM colleges located at GT Hospital and St George Hospital in Mumbai, Dhule, Solapur, Ambajogai (Beed district), Akola, Nagpur and Sangli will be upgraded into BSc Nursing colleges with an annual intake of 100 students each.
The state government said each of these colleges would receive central assistance of Rs 7 crore under the "Upgradation of Schools of Nursing to College of Nursing" scheme.
The government has also approved increasing the intake capacity from 50 to 100 students each at existing government BSc Nursing colleges in Mumbai, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune and Nanded. Around Rs 68.43 crore has been sanctioned for the required infrastructure and equipment, said the GR.
Overall, the government has approved Rs 558.71 crore for the expansion programme, with a state budget provision of Rs 491.91 crore after adjusting Central assistance. It has also sanctioned an estimated recurring expenditure of Rs 12.58 crore annually and approved the creation of the required teaching and non-teaching posts for the institutions, the GR said.
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.