Government Greenlights Rs 15,034 Crore Push To Add 5,000 PG And 5,023 MBBS Seats In Government Medical Colleges

The Central government has approved Phase III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) to upgrade state and central government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes, and government hospitals.

The initiative, which carries financial implications of Rs 15,034.50 crore from 2025-26 to 2028-29, aims to expand both undergraduate and postgraduate medical capacity across the country.

The plan includes creating 5,000 new postgraduate seats and extending the scheme to support an additional 5,023 MBBS seats, with an enhanced cost ceiling of Rs 1.50 crore per seat.

Of the total allocation, the central share stands at Rs 10,303.20 crore, while states will contribute Rs 4,731.30 crore.

Officials said the expansion will significantly boost medical education opportunities, ensure a steady supply of specialists, and enable introduction of new specialties across Government medical institutions.

By leveraging existing infrastructure, the move is also expected to make expansion cost-effective while strengthening tertiary healthcare.

The government emphasised the broader impact of the scheme, noting it would improve healthcare access in underserved rural and remote areas, generate both direct and indirect employment for doctors, paramedical staff, researchers, and administrators, and enhance the resilience of the national health system.

Importantly, it aims to promote equitable distribution of healthcare infrastructure across states and union territories.

The target is to achieve the increase of 5,000 PG seats and 5,023 UG seats by 2028-29, with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare set to issue detailed implementation guidelines.

India today boasts 808 medical colleges with 1.23 lakh MBBS seats, the largest capacity in the world.

While seat availability has expanded rapidly in the past decade, demand for medical professionals remains acute in several regions.

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