1,425 PG medical seats remained vacant last academic year: Govt

As informed by the National Medical Commission (NMC), a total of 1,425 post-graduate seats 1,365 broad-specialty and 60 diploma remained vacant in the 2020-21 academic year, Union Health Mansukh Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The health minister was responding to a question on the number of seats for PG medical courses which remained vacant in the last academic year.

Further, as per provisions of the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education and Post Graduate Medical Education, common counseling for admission to central medical educational institutions, all India quota seats in government medical colleges and deemed universities is conducted by the Medical Council Committee (MCC), Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health, Government of India, Mandaviya said in reply to a written question.

Similarly, for admission to state quota seats in government medical colleges and all seats in private medical colleges, the respective state governments conduct common counseling and are responsible for filling up the seats, he said.

Listing the steps that have been taken to ensure that PG medical seats are not left vacant, Mandaviya said the benchmark percentile for admission to PG degree and diploma courses has been reduced and the counseling for all India quota PG (broad specialty) seats increased to four rounds from 2021.

The steps taken to further increase the availability of medical post-graduate seats in the country include a centrally sponsored scheme for strengthening or upgradation of existing state government or central government medical colleges, and a central sector scheme for upgradation of government medical colleges by construction of super specialty blocks.

Also, undergraduate courses have started in 19 AIIMS, DNB qualification has been recognised for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of teaching staff, DNB diploma courses have been approved in eight broad specialities and the ratio of teacher to students has been rationalised to increase the number of post-graduate medical seats in the country, he said.

By amending the regulations, it has been made mandatory for all medical colleges to start PG courses within three years from the date of their MBBS recognition or continuation of recognition, Mandaviya stated.