Karnataka has the highest number of MBBS seats in the country for this academic year, though it is still second to Tamil Nadu in the number of merit seats.
With 46 medical colleges and nearly 6,705 MBBS seats available for the 2013-14 academic year, Karnataka has pipped the neighbouring states in terms of sheer numbers. Till last year, Andhra Pradesh had the highest number of MBBS seats, followed by Tamil Nadu.
According to the Directorate of Medical Education, three colleges — Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College in Gulbarga, BGS Medical College, Bangalore, and Sri Devi Institute of Medical Sciences in Tumkur — have been approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to begin admissions to 450 MBBS seats for the present academic year.
With this, about 700 MBBS seats have been added to the overall total, which also includes the seats enhanced in the existing medical colleges. As per MCI, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of government medical colleges with 21 institutions offering 2,590 government or merit MBBS seats.
Karnataka has 12 government medical colleges which also includes ESIC medical colleges in Bangalore and Gulbarga, giving as many as 2,457 MBBS government seats, 133 lesser than Tamil Nadu.
Dr Chikkananjappa, president, Karnataka Medical Council, said, “Despite the increase in the number of MBBS seats, the cost per seat has shot up in private institutions which hold a large portion of seats. At least one lakh doctors are registered with the KMC, but only 50,000-60,000 doctors are working here in the state while others are not. There is an imbalance in the distribution of doctors to the prevailing population which is affecting the lives of people.”