NMC defers provision limiting number of MBBS seats in states

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has deferred its decision to limit the number of MBBS seats to per 10 lakh population in every state, the commission announced in a public notice dated Wednesday, November 15, three months after it introduced the guidelines implementing this cap.

As per the notice released today by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), NMC, the decision has been taken in light of a letter issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoFHW) dated November 1, 2023, for re-examining the provisions of the ratio of 100 MBBS Seats for 10 lakh population in the states.

The regulations released by the apex medical education regulator in August 2023 titled ‘Guidelines for undergraduate courses under the establishment of new medical institutions, starting new medical courses, increase of seats for existing courses, and assessment and ratings Regulation 2023’ states that approval for new medical colleges and an increase in the number of MBBS seats from the next academic session would be based on the seats-to-population ratio.

However, as per the public notice released by NMC on Wednesday, the implementation of these provisions has been deferred to the academic year 2024-25, suspending the cap on the number of undergraduate medical seats in any state for the coming academic year.

The decision has also come amid backlash from several states, especially from the southern region of India, like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and the union territory of Puducherry against the NMC guidelines dated August 16, 2023.