Daily News
National Medical Commission adds 6,850 new MBBS seats for 2025-26
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 6,850 additional MBBS seats for the academic year 2025-26. This step increases the total number of MBBS seats in India from 117,750 last year to 123,700 in 2025-26.
Why This Matters
- Over 12.3 lakh (1.23 million) students qualified in the NEET-UG 2025 exam. The rise in seat numbers means better chances for many students to get admissions.
- The move is part of the government’s bigger goal of expanding medical education to improve the doctor-to-population ratio. Currently, India has about one doctor per 1,263 people, and the target is to reach WHO standard of one doctor per 1,000 people.
Where the New Seats Are Coming From
The NMC has distributed these new seats among both government and private medical colleges. Here is how they are allocated:
| Type of College | Number of New Colleges / Seat Increase | New Seats Added |
| New Government Colleges | 13 new colleges | ~1,050 seats |
| Existing Government Colleges | 32 colleges increasing capacity | ~1,080 seats |
| New Private Colleges | 10 colleges | ~1,200 seats |
| Existing Private Colleges | 28 colleges increasing capacity | ~1,515 seats |
Seats On Hold
Not all the newly approved seats will be usable immediately. About 2,000 seats are being kept on hold. These are under suspension for reasons like:
- Colleges not fully meeting required norms or standards
- Court cases
- Seats meant to be supernumerary (extra seats beyond usual intake)
If the institutions fix the issues, these seats might be unlocked later.
