Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, December 13 that of the 60,202 postgraduate (PG) medical seats available for 2021-22, exactly 3,744 remained vacant after counselling. Further, out of the 92,065 undergraduate (UG) seats available in 2021-2022, 197 seats were left vacant for MBBS courses after counselling, the minister replied to a question in Rajya Sabha, stated a report in The Indian Express.
Every year, National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts NEET UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate). While about 15,44,273 students appeared for the exam in 2021, as many as 17,64,571 appeared in 2022. Further giving more details, the minister said there were 1,425 PG seats left vacant after counselling in 2020-21 and 4,614 seats in 2019-2020. As many as 273 seats had remained vacant for MBBS in 2019-2020 and 274 in 2018-2019, he added.
Replying to another query raised in Rajya Sabha, Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar said that a total of 96,077 MBBS seats are available in the country, out of which, 51,712 are in government medical colleges and 44365 are in private medical colleges. There are 49,790 PG seats on the National Medical Commission (NMC), of which, 30,384 are in government medical colleges and 19,406 are in private medical colleges, as stated in a report by The Indian Express.
Further, there is also 12,648 Diplomate of National Board (DNB)/Fellowship of National Board (FNB) PG seats, out of which, 4,185 are in government institutions and 8,463 are in private institutions. In addition, 1,621 PG seats are in the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS).
The number of medical colleges saw an increase of 67 per cent from 387 before 2014 to 648 as of now. Additionally, there is also an increase in MBBS seats of 87 per cent from 51,348 before 2014 to 96,077 as of now. And an increase of 105 per cent in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 64,059 as of now, as stated in a report by The Indian Express.
