The NMC has removed the 150-seat cap on MBBS seats and relaxed key norms, aiming to expand medical education. Concerns remain over infrastructure, faculty shortages, and unequal distribution of healthcare resources., Education, Times Now

NMC Scraps MBBS Seat Cap to Boost Capacity, but Quality and Equity Concerns Remain

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The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed the 150-seat cap on MBBS admissions and relaxed several key norms to expand medical education capacity across India. While this move is expected to significantly increase the number of MBBS seats, especially in existing institutions and in southern states, it has also raised concerns about maintaining quality.

Previously, medical colleges were limited to 150 MBBS seats. This restriction has now been lifted. Additionally, the rule linking the number of seats in a state to its population (100 seats per 10 lakh people) has been scrapped. Norms regarding the distance between a medical college and its attached hospital have also been eased: earlier capped at a 30-minute travel distance, hospitals can now be located up to 10 km away, and up to 15 km in North Eastern and Himalayan states.

These provisions were part of the Undergraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (UG-MSR 2023), introduced by the NMC less than three years ago. The guidelines aimed to ensure balanced growth in medical education across regions.

One rule linked the number of MBBS seats to a state’s population to reduce regional imbalance, since southern states already have more medical colleges. Another rule limited each college to 150 seats to prevent overcrowding and ensure students get proper clinical training.

However, states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and the union territory of Puducherry have strongly opposed these rules. According to them, they are being unfairly restricted even after having better healthcare and medical education systems. Therefore, as a result, the NMC did not get to implement these rules fully and had to postpone them.

At the same time, the number of medical colleges has rapidly expanded in India - from 387 in 2014 to more than 818 by the end of 2025. The number of MBBS seats has also grown by 127%.

In 2025-26, 11,682 - the largest ever increase in traditional MBBS seats - were added, bringing the total to 1,29,872 seats. The Federal Government will now increase the number of medical seats by 75,000 in the next five years from 2024.

According to the reports, problems still exist even after many new colleges have been started. Some colleges don’t have enough teachers, proper infrastructure, or enough patients for students to learn from. Some of the hospitals associated with the colleges are at a distance, making it difficult for students to train.

There is also a parliamentary committee on health and family welfare. It is therefore recommended not to delay the population-based provision for setting up colleges, as this rule helps to ensure equitable distribution of health care facilities, particularly in densely populated and underdeveloped areas.

But the committee recommended a compromise. It suggested raising the total capacity of seats in a college from 150 to 250, but only if there are sufficient facilities and teachers. It also recommended that the rise should be done progressively.

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