Karnataka set to bolster medical education with 1,500 new MBBS seats amid controversy
Karnataka will introduce an additional 1,500 MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) seats following the endorsement of recommendations by the Local Inspection Committee (LIC) to expand seat capacity at eight private and 16 state-run medical colleges across the state. This was stated in a report by Shiksha.
The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has sanctioned these recommendations for increasing the number of MBBS seats by approving the suggestions made by the local committee.
The university has proposed the augmentation of more than 1,500 MBBS seats across existing medical institutions. In addition, RGUHS has greenlit the establishment of a new private medical college in Hunsur, Mysuru, as reported by the Deccan Herald.
This move positions Karnataka as the leading state in the nation for MBBS seat availability, outpacing Tamil Nadu. Currently boasting 12,545 seats, Karnataka is expected to further boost its medical education capacity with the addition of over 1,500 new seats.
Furthermore, there is potential for an additional 250 seats if the proposed government medical colleges in Ramanagara and Kanakapura commence student intake for the 2025-2026 academic year.
However, various stakeholders have voiced concerns regarding RGUHS's endorsement of increased seat intake at certain medical colleges. Reports indicate that some of these institutions had previously faced penalties from the National Medical Commission (NMC) owing to inadequate infrastructure and faculty strength.
It is reported that the proposed increase of 1,500 seats is in its final approval stage but has yet to receive formal consent. Additionally, several former members of the syndicate have decided to raise this issue with the Karnataka Governor to urge him to investigate the matter, according to Medical Dialogues.