NEW DELHI: In a major policy shift, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced the removal of key restrictions on MBBS seat expansion in medical colleges across India.
The decision is expected to substantially increase undergraduate medical seats in the country and improve access to medical education amid rising demand for doctors.
In a gazette notification issued on April 27, the NMC, which regulates medical education in India, amended its 2023 regulations governing new medical colleges and expansion of existing courses.
The major amendment introduced by NMC is the removal of the clause that capped the total number of MBBS seats at 150 per college for those seeking expansion from the 2024–25 academic year. Now, as this clause stands deleted, colleges can seek to increase student intake.
The Commission also removed the requirement that states to maintain a ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population.
Also, the Commission revised the norms governing the distance between a medical college and its teaching hospital. Instead of a 30-minute travel-time cap, the rules now prescribe a maximum distance of 10 km.
“The maximum distance between the plots of college and hospital shall be 10 km, and in the case of North Eastern Region States and Himalayan States, the maximum distance between the plots of college and hospital shall be 15 km,” the gazette notification said.
Officials said India's healthcare education and workforce infrastructure have grown significantly in recent years, reflecting a sustained policy focus on expanding access and improving quality.
According to NMC, MBBS seats increased by 48,563 and PG seats by 29,080 from 2020-21 to 2025-26.
Further, the government has approved the addition of 10,023 medical seats under Centrally Sponsored Schemes across government colleges from the financial year 2025-26 to 2028-29.
Officials said the expansion of medical seats reduces the gap in the healthcare workforce, particularly in underserved regions, and directly affects the doctor-population ratio across states.
The growing number of medical seats, coupled with improvements in infrastructure and faculty, has made domestic institutions more accessible to Indian students, they added.