Where are the jobs? Ask Medicos as 10,000 extra medical seats announced during Union Budget 

For the proposed increase in MBBS seats to be effective, it must be accompanied by improvements in infrastructure, facilities, and faculty at medical colleges.
Image used for representational purposes only
Image used for representational purposes only
Updated on
3 min read

NEW DELHI: The Medicos has Union budget 2025 has announced 10,000 additional medical seats in India, intending to add 75,000 in the next five years.

While the medical community has welcomed the move, but many raised questions about the quality of education, infrastructure, and even the scarcity of jobs.

Speaking with TNIE, Indian Medical Association (IMA) National President Dr. Dilip Bhanushali welcomed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement in the union budget that ten thousand additional medical seats would be added.

“This will ensure sufficient doctors to serve the people. However, we expect that proper infrastructure is available in medical colleges and hospitals, including teachers for these students. With the rising numbers of medical graduates, we request that they be provided with employment opportunities, ” he added.

The Economic Survey acknowledged that the physician-to-population ration in India would meet the WHO standard of 1: 1000 by 2030, making the shortage of doctors a less pressing concern. It also highlighted issues plaguing medical education like more jobs in urban areas compared to rural areas, a shortage of specialists across specialities, remuneration, doctor migration, high medical fees, and the quality of medical education.

According to Dr. Rajeev Jaydevan, former IMA president, Cochin, said that merely increasing seats will not address the unequal distribution of doctors, particularly the shortage in rural areas. “Young doctors naturally seek places where they can raise a family, and the lack of facilities and incentives in rural regions pushes them toward cities," he said.

In some urban areas, there is already unemployment due to an oversupply of doctors. "Increasing MBBS seats could worsen this imbalance unless parallel efforts are made to improve working conditions, ensuring better distribution,” he added.

He further said “For the proposed increase in MBBS seats to be effective, it must be accompanied by improvements in infrastructure, facilities, and faculty at medical colleges. This will enhance the quality of medical education and also reduce the need for aspirants to study abroad."

The migration of Indian doctors to foreign countries has also been a growing concern. In 2021, OECD countries reported that nearly 19,000 Indian physicians were part of their workforce, with over 2,800 migrating in that year alone.

Dr Rohan Krishnan, chief patron of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), expressed strong reservations about the future of the profession in India. He warned young aspirants against pursuing MBBS, arguing that the current scenario was already grim and would likely deteriorate further. He pointed out that despite earning degrees, many doctors, particularly dentists, struggle to secure well-paying jobs, with some earning less than Rs 20,000 per month—an amount lower than what an autorickshaw driver earns.

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national council coordinator of the Indian Medical Association-Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN), said that India does not face a shortage of doctors but rather a failure in their distribution. He cited the lack of infrastructure in hospitals, including basic drugs and medical technology, as a major problem. Without addressing these fundamental issues, he argued, increasing medical seats would be of little benefit.

Dr Meet Ghonia, national secretary of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), also echoed similar concerns. He urged for an increase in government medical seats rather than private institutions, along with a corresponding rise in postgraduate and super-specialty seats. He also urged the government to create more job opportunities for doctors.

Dr Lakshya Mittal, national president of the United Doctors Front (UDF), said about the importance of strengthening existing medical institutions before expanding intake capacity. He highlighted the need for adequate stipends for interns and residents, fair working conditions, and reasonable duty hours. Increasing seats without improving education quality and training, he warned, would not address the underlying issues in medical education.

India has witnessed a steady rise in the number of medical colleges and seats over the years. The number of MBBS seats increased from approximately 16 lakh in 2019 to 24 lakh in 2024. The number of medical colleges grew from 499 in 2023 to 780 in 2025. MBBS seats saw a sharp increase from 70,012 in 2023 to 96,077 in 2024, reaching 1,18,137 in 2025. Postgraduate seats also rose significantly, from 39,583 in 2023 to 64,059 in 2024 and 73,157 in 2025.

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