Cabinet greenlights major expansion in medical seats across India
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By RK News
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24 Sep 2025
₹15,000 cr scheme to improve rural healthcare & medical education quality
New Delhi, Sept 24 : In a landmark decision to address the growing demand for healthcare professionals, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved
Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for expansion and upgradation of government medical institutions. The move aims to add
5,000 postgraduate (PG) seats and
5,023 undergraduate (MBBS) seats across the country by
2028–29.
The approved expansion carries a total financial outlay of
₹15,034.50 crore, with the
Centre contributing ₹10,303.20 crore and the
States/UTs contributing ₹4,731.30 crore. A cost ceiling of
₹1.5 crore per seat has been set, ensuring efficient fund utilization for infrastructure upgrades.
The scheme is designed to augment the availability of doctors and specialists, strengthen tertiary healthcare services, and promote equitable distribution of medical infrastructure, particularly in underserved regions.
The schemes also aim to
introduce new medical specialties across government institutions and
generate employment, directly for doctors, faculty, and paramedical staff, and indirectly across administration, research, and support services.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) will soon issue
detailed implementation guidelines. The central goal is to
create 5,000 PG and 5,023 MBBS seats in existing state and central government medical colleges and standalone PG institutions by
2028–29.
This capacity expansion is expected to
strengthen India's health systems, improve access to
quality and affordable healthcare, and address regional disparities in medical infrastructure.
India currently has
808 medical colleges, the highest in the world, with an annual intake of
1,23,700 MBBS students. Over the last decade,
69,352 new MBBS seats (127% growth) and
43,041 PG seats (143% growth) have been added. However, some regions still face a shortfall in trained medical personnel.
The government has also recently issued the
Medical Institution (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations 2025, taking a more inclusive and competency-based approach to faculty recruitment. This reform supports the expanding network of government institutions, including the
22 AIIMS set up under the
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
This move reinforces the government's commitment to
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by investing in the
human resources for health. It not only increases opportunities for medical education in India but also positions the country to become a global hub for
affordable, high-quality healthcare.
In sum, this Cabinet approval marks a major milestone in transforming India’s healthcare education landscape,
ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled professionals to meet both current and future health challenges.
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