Bengaluru: Karnataka has received 1,122 additional medical seats for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, in what the state government described as a major achievement in the field of medical education.
Addressing the media at Vikasa Soudha on Saturday, Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash R Patil said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare granted the final approval for the seats on May 15. He added that the Centre will provide Rs 495 crore for undergraduate medical seats and Rs 541 crore for postgraduate seats, taking the total financial assistance to Rs 1,090 crore.
He said Karnataka continues to remain in the forefront of medical education in the country and added that the allocation of more than 1,000 seats to a single state is a record. He said the additional seats would benefit districts including Koppal, Gadag, Chamarajanagar, Karwar and Haveri, helping improve access to medical education and healthcare infrastructure across the state.
He noted that the increase in seats would create more opportunities for students aspiring to build careers in medicine and urged them to make full use of the facilities available in the state.
Abolish NEET UG: State
The Karnataka government has urged the Centre to abolish the NEET-UG from the 2026 academic year and allow states to conduct their own entrance tests through agencies such as the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).
In a statement, the state government said Karnataka’s CET system had for decades ensured transparent, merit-based and student-friendly admissions, particularly benefiting rural and economically weaker students.
The government expressed concern over repeated allegations of question paper leaks, impersonation, cheating and irregularities in NEET, stating that such controversies had shaken public confidence and caused stress among students and parents. Karnataka said it would continue pressing the Union government to restore states’ powers to conduct entrance examinations independently.
