1,390 more MBBS seats in 32 colleges

Coming as a boon for medical aspirants across the country, Government today allowed creation of 1,390 additional MBBS seats in 32 government medical colleges.
The Medical Council of India approved the creation of additional seats in government medical colleges across the country in its meeting today.
There are a total of 362 medical colleges in the country with over 45,000 MBBS seats. With the creation of new seats, the total would go up to 46,500 seats.
The MCI earlier this month had notified a new set of regulations - the 'Enhancement of Annual intake capacity in Undergraduate Courses in Medical Colleges for academic session 2013-14 only regulations, 2013' under which July 31 was the last date for granting such approvals.

Though the scheme was for both private and government medical colleges, the Health Ministry issued a clarification keeping private medical colleges out of its purview.
As a one-time measure, the Medical Council of India - the apex medical education regulator, had allowed government medical colleges with 10 years of standing to increase their MBBS seats.

While those medical colleges with 50 seats at present will be allowed to increase their seats to 100 and those with 100 seats now will be permitted to hike them to 150, as per the scheme.
Atleast 10 medical government colleges which did not fulfil the criteria under the scheme were not accorded approval for creation of additional MBBS seats, sources said.

The MCI will later carry out a physical verification and inspection of the medical facilities and infrastructure at such medical colleges where additional seats are created.
The move was initiated to churn out more doctors to cater to their growing demand especially in rural areas and would help improve the doctor-population ratio.