Commenting on the state of education in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated that the ruling BJP government was "trying to ensure that the country's need for doctors is fulfilled and children aspiring for medical education do not have to go abroad."
"The number of MBBS seats has recorded an increase of 87%. Eight years ago, there were 53,000 seats, which have now grown to 96,000. In the same period, postgraduate medical seats have increased from 31,000 to 63,000, recording a 105% increase," said the Minister. He added that medical colleges have also increased from 387 in 2014 to 648 in 2022, as per a report by PTI.
Mandaviya also commented on the state of school education in the country and said that the dropout rate of girls from schools saw a decline since 2014. The minister added that the New Education Policy (NEP) is being "hailed across states and all sections of society," according to PTI.
The minister also pointed out the impact of the Diksha (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) portal and the Swayam Prabha TV channel that are meant to be used by teachers to provide education through distance mode. Mandaviya said that these initiatives were taken during the pandemic to "ensure that education is not hampered."
According to PTI, the minister also said that toilets have played an important role in curbing the dropout rate of girls in schools. "In 2.5 lakh schools over 4.5 lakh toilets were built as a result of which the dropout ratio has dipped from 17% to 13%," Mandaviya said.
In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha on December 14, Mandaviya said that 3,744 seats were left vacant out of the 60,202 PG medical seats available for 2021-2022 after counselling. Mandaviya also said that 197 UG medical seats for MBBS courses were also left vacant after the counselling from among the 92,065 seats available.
