Self-financing medical, dental college fee details released

Self-financing medical, dental college fee details released

The Hindu Bureau

Chennai. 16.08.2026

Tamil Nadu’s Selection Committee has put up the fee details of self-financing medical and dental colleges as a part of the ongoing counselling for MBBS/BDS courses, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive for mandatory pre-counselling disclosure of fees. It had directed that all private/deemed universities should mandatorily disclose their fees, detailing tuition, hostel, caution deposit, and miscellaneous charges.

Manickavel Arumugam, education counsellor, said: “It is a welcome move that the State Selection Committee has finally released the fee details for private colleges. This transparency is highly commendable and will empower students to make informed choices. However, the disclosure still lacks clarity in a few areas. It is not clearly mentioned whether certain components are one-time charges or recurring annual fees. For example, the ‘other fees’ of ₹1,77,500 listed by one institution does not specify if it is a one-time payment or a yearly requirement.”

Among State private universities, the hostel fee ranged from ₹1,10,000 to ₹3,25,000 per year. The fee structure in one of the institutions varies according to room type. The mess fee ranged from ₹10,000 to ₹18,000 per month. Some of these institutions also charged other fees such as development fee of ₹60,000, university fee of ₹40,000, examination fee of ₹30,000, and books/basic materials at ₹1,40,000 per year.

Among private medical colleges, the hostel fee ranged from ₹1,250 to ₹25,000 per month (depending on room type and monthly/yearly charges). The mess fee ranged from ₹9,000 to ₹22,500 per month, while it was lesser in one or two colleges.

NEET toppers skew the curve in 2026, MBBS cut-off may go up by 40 marks Admissions Won’t Get Tougher, Say Experts

NEET toppers skew the curve in 2026, MBBS cut-off may go up by 40 marks Admissions Won’t Get Tougher, Say Experts

 

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 11.08.2026

Chennai: The cut-offs for MBBS/BDS admissions to govt colleges in Tamil Nadu are likely to increase by up to 40 marks for the open category and between 21 and 41 marks for some reserved categories this year. This is because the number of top scorers in NEET 2026 is higher than that of the previous year. This may not mean that admissions will get tougher now, experts say, as the selection committee will allot seats based on the order of merit in the eligibility test and 69% rule of reservation. 

Counselling for MBBS and BDS will begin on Aug 13. Offline counselling will be held for candidates under special category on the same day. The MBBS/BDS rank list for 2026 admissions was released on Monday by health minister K G Arunraj. There were 90 students with a score above 700 in 2024, 29 students in 2023, and five in 2022. The number of students above 500 marks in 2026 was more than 6,000 compared to less than 4,000 in 2025. Between 350 and 499, there were 15,800 students, fewer than 17,431 recorded in 2025. This year, TN has 9,999 MBBS seats. After surrendering seats to the Centre under all India quota, the seat matrix will open with 7,157 seats—4,473 state-quota seats in govt colleges and 2,684 govt quota seats in self-financing colleges. 

For the first time in five years, the state has 50 MBBS seats each in three existing medical colleges. At least 700 MBBS seats have been added to private colleges, taking the additional seat tally to 850. But this will not reflect in the seat matrix. Four institutions with 800 MBBS seats were removed from the state list and added to the Centre’s list as they were granted deemed university status. While the health minister said the new seats will ease competition, counsellors say the loss of seats will also mean higher fee, no quota for meritorious students, no reservation under 60% or for govt school students. 

This year too, the middle is crowded,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. Analysis shows more than 3,800 students are bunched between 500 and 599 marks. Open category seats in govt run medical colleges, which ended at 1,508 rank in 2025, and a cut-off score of 533, will now have a cut-off hovering above 570. The BC cut-off will hover around 535, compared to 506 last year, while BCM and MBC will be around 523 and 525 respectively. In the SC/SCA and ST, cut off will be around 465, 435 and 430. Scores of students in the 7.5% quota, where seats were reserved for govt school students, have improved in 2026. Top six students under this category had scores hovering between 585 and 599, compared to last year’s topper who had a score of 572 out of 720. 

For BDS, there are 1,383 seats: 213 in govt colleges and 1,170 govt quota seats in selffinancing colleges. “Seats have come down as one college has been derecognised and one has been sent to the central pool after it was granted deemed university status,” Arunraj said. Experts say it is difficult to predict the cut-offs for dental seats, as BDS is no longer the natural choice for students who don’t get into MBBS—many wait to retake NEET.

NMC plans to tighten norms to make MBBS colleges fully ready before admissions

NMC plans to tighten norms to make MBBS colleges fully ready before admissions 

EDUCATION TIMES 06.08.2026

Regulations require complete academic and teaching hospital facilities before permissions are granted, abolishing the State-issued Essentiality Certificate

 Divyansh Kumar | Posted August 03, 2026 01:00 PM

First-year MBBS students may no longer have to study in colleges with half-built anatomy halls, under-equipped labs, or temporary teaching hospitals. To strengthen the quality of medical education, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed draft amendments that would require aspiring medical colleges to complete all academic and hospital infrastructure before applying for regulatory approval, effectively ending the practice of admitting students while facilities are still under construction.

Medical educators have welcomed the proposed ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to incomplete infrastructure, saying it could substantially improve the learning experience from the very first day of medical training. However, questions remain over whether the reforms could slow down the expansion of medical colleges and lead to a greater concentration of institutions in urban centres.

The proposed draft amendments to the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses & Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023 represent one of the most significant overhauls of the approval framework since the NMC replaced the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI). Besides mandating 100% infrastructure readiness, the draft proposes abolishing the State-issued Essentiality Certificate, introducing a mandatory institutional corpus fund, requiring solvency certificates verified by CAs, expanding the list of eligible applicants, and prescribing stricter penalties for incomplete applications or attempts to influence the approval process.

Explaining the rationale behind the changes, an NMC official tells Education Times that the objective is to make the approval mechanism more objective, transparent and quality-oriented. “The amendments are intended to further strengthen the regulatory framework for establishment of new medical colleges by making the approval process more objective, transparent and quality-oriented. The emphasis is on ensuring that essential infrastructure and institutional readiness are in place before applications are considered, thereby reducing avoidable deficiencies and facilitating a more efficient assessment process,” the official says.

Infrastructure Gap

For faculty members, the proposal directly addresses a longstanding concern that students often bear the consequences of infrastructure deficiencies during the crucial first year of training. “The first year lays the foundation for the entire medical career as students require well-equipped anatomy dissection halls, physiology and biochemistry laboratories, libraries, skills laboratories and digital learning facilities from the very first day,” says Dr Roy R Chandran, professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Government Medical College, Kozhikode. He adds that when infrastructure is incomplete, practical teaching suffers, faculty spend valuable time overcoming logistical challenges instead of focusing on academics, and students lose confidence in the quality of their training.

Welcoming the proposal to prohibit temporary hospital arrangements during inspections, stressing that medical education is fundamentally patient-centred, Dr Chandran says, “A teaching hospital develops its academic culture over time. It has established departments, multidisciplinary teams, standard treatment protocols, adequate patient load and regular academic activities. Temporary hospitals created merely to satisfy inspection requirements cannot replicate this environment. If we expect to produce competent doctors, the teaching hospital must be fully functional from the very beginning, not just on the day of inspection.”

State Stake

One of the most debated proposals remains the abolition of the State-issued Essentiality Certificate, a mandate that historically allowed state governments to assess the requirement of a new medical college in a particular region. While the NMC argues that removing the certificate will simplify approvals, experts caution that it could encourage private investment to concentrate in already developed urban markets. “Dispensing with the Essentiality Certificate is intended to simplify the regulatory process while retaining the Commission’s focus on academic, clinical and infrastructural standards,” says the NMC official.

Clinical learning depends on adequate patient exposure, and if more medical colleges are clustered in the same city, they compete for the same patient population. “This can reduce the diversity and volume of clinical cases available to each student. Expansion should be guided by regional healthcare needs rather than simply increasing the number of colleges, rather than adding that strengthening existing government hospitals may often deliver greater benefits than opening new institutions,” adds Dr Chandran.

NMC draft amendment scraps essentiality certificate requirement for setting up new medical colleges

NMC draft amendment scraps essentiality certificate requirement for setting up new medical colleges 

Written By : Barsha Misra Published On 4 Aug 2026 4:30 PM | Updated On 4 Aug 2026 4:30 PM

New Delhi: Under the new amendment introduced to the Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Starting of New Medical Courses, Increase of Seats for Existing Courses and Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, approval from the State government may no longer be required for setting up new medical colleges.

While earlier, obtaining an essentiality certificate from the State was mandatory for setting up a new medical college, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed this requirement under the proposed Establishment of New Medical Institutions Assessment & Rating (Amendment) Regulations, 2026.

According to the proposed amendment, a Consent of Affiliation (CoA) letter obtained from a recognized university, issued in the name of the applicant/ the Medical College/ the entity in writing, is required.

Also Read: NMC draft amendment bars approval for new medical colleges, courses, seat hike without complete infrastructure

Under the 2023 regulations, Clause 9 specifies the documents that the applicant medical college needs to submit to the Commission. Previously, the following documents were required:

a. Essentiality Certificate (EC) issued by the concerned State Government or Union Territory administration or the appropriate authority as the case may be unless otherwise specified. The EC shall be valid at the time of application; and

b. A Consent of Affiliation (CoA) letter obtained from a recognized university, issued in the name of the applicant entity in writing. The CoA shall be valid at the time of application; and

c. Documentary proof indicating the establishment of a corpus fund by the entity dedicatedly applicable to functioning of the new medical institution year after year; and

d. A solvency certificate issued by a Chartered Accountant within ninety days prior to the last date of submission of the application as mandated by the Notification issued by the MARB; and

e. Documents by way of proof that such reasonable area of land is either owned or arranged under lease or such other arrangement by the eligible entity; and

f. Capabilities with regard to the provision of required basic infrastructure, administrative and financial support of the applicant, if the eligible entity is other than Central or a State Government or Union Territory administration; and

g. Documentary proof of owning or running a hospital of required capacity as indicated in the MSRs.

h. Proof indicating remittance of prescribed application fee and bank guarantee; and

i. Any such other documents are to be notified from time to time by the MARB.

NMC has proposed to remove clause 9 (a)- therefore removing the need for an essentiality certificate. Modifying clause 9 (b), the Commission has proposed that a Consent of Affiliation (CoA) letter obtained from a recognized university, issued in the name of the applicant/ the Medical College/ the entity in writing, will be required.

Clause 9 (c) has also been deleted- therefore the documentary proof indicating the establishment of corpus fund by the entity dedicatedly applicable to the functioning of the new medical institution year after year may also no longer be required.

The Commission has further proposed that Clause 9(d) shall be amended as: A solvency certificate based on the last completed financial year issued by a Chartered Accountant within ninety days prior to the last date of invitation of the application.

It added that (9) Clause 9 (k) shall be inserted as:" Infrastructure and other statutory requirements as per the regulations shall be complete at the time of application. Temporary arrangement for the Hospital and college building shall not be permitted. A work-in-progress status of the applicant institute shall not be considered for further processing of the application."

Long hours hurting resident docs’ mental health, NMC tells SC

Long hours hurting resident docs’ mental health, NMC tells SC

TNN | Aug 2, 2026, 05.17 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Long and crushing working hours have become a serious challenge for resident doctors, causing them psychological distress and mental health problems. Flagging the issue in an affidavit before Supreme Court, National Medical Commission (NMC) has stressed that reasonable working hours and time for rest are a must for their wellbeing and proper functioning, as well as proper patient care. It, however, expressed its inability to ensure the same, saying the matter falls within the domain of central and state health authorities.

In the affidavit filed in response to a PIL by a group of doctors seeking healthy working conditions, the commission placed the findings of its task force, which had projected a grim picture of what doctors have to endure.

“The demanding schedules, including long and multiple 24-hour duties (sometimes 3-5 consecutive duties), were significant stressors for most post graduate doctors. These extended hours without adequate rest led to physical and mental exhaustion, negatively impacting their performance and health,” commission said, referring to the report.

Doctors’ organisation ‘United Doctors Front’ had approached the court demanding healthy working conditions, pointing out that cases of doctors’ suicides are on the rise and claiming that 150 such cases have been reported in five years.

NEET 2026 DEEMED UNIVERSITY COUNSELLING SCHEDULE 2026

NEET-PG aspirants to face Aadhaar checks Candidates To Get Test City Details 3 Wks In Advance

NEET-PG aspirants to face Aadhaar checks Candidates To Get Test City Details 3 Wks In Advance 

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com  02.08.2026

New Delhi: More than 2.73 lakh medical graduates have registered for NEET-PG 2026, an increase of over 12.5% over last year, as National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences rolls out enhanced authentication measures and candidate-friendly initiatives for the Aug-30 examination.

Candidates will undergo Aadhaar-based authentication during registration and on the examination day, while iris-based biometric verification will be used wherever fingerprint authentication is unsuccessful. They will also have to indicate three preferred states for allotment of examination centres, with their correspondence state as the mandatory first preference. 

Test city information will be issued nearly three weeks before the examination, enabling candidates to plan travel and accommodation in advance. Examination will comprise 180 questions that have to be answered in 210 minutes, giving candidates more time per question while retaining the overall duration of examination. 

Union health minister J P Nadda reviewed preparations for the examination on Saturday and directed officials to ensure its smooth, transparent and technology-enabled conduct while maintaining the highest standards of security and integrity. He also urged candidates not to fall prey to rumours or fraudulent claims regarding question paper leaks, saying the final paper is selected through a highly encrypted, time-bound process shortly before the examination, making any claim of prior access entirely false. 

Officials said examination will be conducted under a multi-layered security framework, which includes CCTV surveillance, biometric authentication, candidate frisking, signal jammers, dynamic computer allocation, live monitoring through central and regional command centres, and independent observers. 

More than 60,000 examination personnel will be deployed to oversee the examination. The end-to-end question paper preparation and delivery process has been reinforced through multiple layers of encryption, secure offline preparation, time-bound finalisation of paper shortly before the examination and controlled digital decryption at the scheduled commencement of the test.

NMC to focus on ability, not just disability MBBS Admission:

NMC to focus on ability, not just disability MBBS Admission: 

New Guidelines Mandate Case-By-Case Assessment

 Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 29.07.2026

New Delhi : Students with benchmark disabilities seeking admission to MBBS courses will now undergo an individual assessment of their functional abilities to determine whether they can acquire essential competencies required for the course with reasonable accommodation. 

National Medical Commission (NMC) on Monday issued new guidelines requiring medical boards to evaluate each candidate’s functional ability rather than relying solely on the type or extent of disability. 

Under the new framework, NMC-regulated medical colleges will now also have to set up an “enabling unit” for students with benchmark disabilities, providing a single point of contact for reasonable accommodation, academic and clinical support, and a barrierfree learning environment. Designated medical assessment boards will carry out an individual assessment of every candidate. 

The guidelines state that applicants cannot be declared ineligible solely on the basis of their diagnosis or the percentage of benchmark disability. Instead, boards must assess a candidate’s functional abilities, the essential competencies required under competency-based medical education curriculum, and whether reasonable accommodation can enable them to complete the course. 

“After Supreme Court’s constant follow-up and directions, NMC has amended its interim guidelines and issued revised guidelines for MBBS admissions of students with disabilities,” said Prof Satendra Singh, coordinator UCMS and GTB Hospital’s enabling unit. 

“The biggest change is the shift from assessing eligibility on the basis of the percentage of disability to evaluating functional competency. Clinical accommodations are reasonable modifications that enable medical students with benchmark disability to participate in clinical training and patient care without compromising academic standards or patient safety,” the coordinator said. The guidelines also require medical boards to consider assistive devices, adaptive technology, communication support and other reasonable accommodations before arriving at a decision. 

While emphasising inclusion, NMC has said patient safety will remain an important consideration. On enabling units, NMC directed that these should be set up in compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the recent SC directions aimed at ensuring inclusive medical education. The unit will also receive and address requests for disability-specific accommodations during the course of study, including clinical training and internship, according to the circular.

NEET PG 2026 tightens anti-leak measures

NEET PG 2026 tightens anti-leak measures 

Candidates will undergo multistage authentication during registration

 Divyansh.Kumar@timesofindia.com 27.07.2026

Education times 

To insulate the upcoming NEET PG 2026 entrance exam from the malpractice that derailed NEET UG, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) is deploying a multilayered digital security framework.

 The exam scheduled on August 30 will have mandatory Aadhaarbased authentication at multiple stages, alongside technology-enabled analytical monitoring introduced this year, to flag suspicious answering patterns. The measures come less than three months after the NEET UG 2026 paper leak triggered the cancellation of exam, followed by a retest. 

While NEET PG has long been conducted as a ComputerBased Test (CBT), officials say a post-crisis review led to additional safeguards aimed at preventing impersonation, organised cheating and unauthorised access to examination content. “After concerns raised in other examinations, NBEMS undertook a comprehensive review of the exam processes in consultation with the stakeholders concerned, including the technology partner and security agencies to identify areas where safeguards could be further strengthened. 

The review resulted in additional preventive measures and refinement of existing protocols,” a senior NMC official tells on the condition of anonymity. Aadhaar authentication is introduced to control the impersonation loophole that has plagued entrance exams. “The objective is to ensure that the genuine registered candidate appears for the examination, thereby preventing impersonation and protecting the interests of honest candidates. Checks would apply at several stages: application submission, entry into the exam hall and even after bio-breaks, as efforts to prevent organised cheating,” the official added. Beyond biometrics, the architecture of CBT mode exam itself serves as a deterrent to networkdriven leaks. “Unlike paper-based exams, there is no mass printing, transportation, storage or physical distribution of question booklets to thousands of examination centres. 

Digital delivery through secured systems considerably limits exposure of examination content,” adds the official. System-driven question randomisation also helps control cheating inside exam halls, under which each candidate receives questions in a different sequence. “This ensures that neighbouring candidates are extremely unlikely to view questions in the same order. Randomisation changes only the presentation of questions and not the assessment standard, and all candidates are evaluated against the same paper despite differing sequences on candidate consoles,” he says. NBEMS has also deployed technology-enabled analytical processes to detect unusual answering patterns. 

However, no adverse action is taken on automated flags alone. “Any flagged instance is subjected to detailed review process using multiple sources of evidence before any conclusion is reached,” adds the official. After assessment, the testing body has identified high-risk centres or regions, where it has deployed enhanced monitoring, and closer coordination with test delivery partners and law enforcement agencies. Changed Pattern Medical aspirants preparing for the single-shift exam will also contend with a revised pattern. NEET PG 2026 will have 180 questions instead of 200, within the same threehour, 30-minute duration, split into five sections of 36 questions each with a strict 42-minute time-lock per section, and candidates cannot return to a completed section once its window closes. Maximum marks drop from 800 to 720, though the fourmark award and one-mark penalty per question remain unchanged. 

“The NEET PG exam now includes more problem-oriented and clinically oriented questions, which are lengthy at times and require more time,” says the official. 

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MBBS/BDS application portal to reopen

MBBS/BDS application portal to reopen 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 26.07.2026

Chennai : The Tamil Nadu Selection Committee will reopen the online application window for MBBS and BDS admissions for candidates who have not yet submitted their applications for the 2026-27 academic session. The portal — tnmedicalselection.org — would remain open from 10 am on July 26 to 3 pm on July 27, a notification said. 

The committee decided to reopen the portal as a one-time measure after representations from students. It said no editing would be allowed for applications submitted earlier. The scrutiny of applications received before the extension was in process, and modifications or edits to these applications would delay the ongoing scrutiny phase, it said. “Candidates who have submitted their applications with minor errors need not panic. Minor clerical or typographical errors will be taken into consideration and verified appropriately during the document verification and scrutiny stages,” it said.

NEET’s top two scorers: Protest is a right, reform is the answer

NEET’s top two scorers: Protest is a right, reform is the answer

 Manash.Gohain@timesofindia.com 23.07.2026

New Delhi : Aryan Gupta and Panshul Bansal felt the same anger and sense of injustice as lakhs of NEET-UG aspirants when the May-3 examination was cancelled after a paper leak. They believe students were within their rights to protest. But instead of joining the demonstrations, they stepped away from the noise, revitalised their will and prepared for the June 21 re-exam — a decision that took them to the top.

Both scored 715 out of 720, with Gupta securing All India Rank 1 and Bansal placed second under the tie-break rule. They now want computer-based testing (CBT), tighter security and two NEET attempts a year to help examinees avoid what they experienced this year. “Although it was unfair, it was not unfair only to me. It was unfair to everyone,” Gupta said, adding that he treated the re-test as a chance to improve his performance. He had expected around 696 marks in the first examination. 

The cancellation left him “devastated and disappointed”, but he focused on what remained in his control. Bansal did the same. As reports about the leak and protests multiplied, he stopped following the news for nearly two months because it was giving him “negative thoughts”. But both defended students’ right to demonstrate. “Protest and dissent are basic rights of a citizen. They are very essential for a democracy,” Gupta said. Bansal said his job was to prepare, while it was govt’s responsibility to repair the system. Their re-examination experience was better. 

Gupta said the June-21 test was conducted in a “much more secure and much better manner”, with police, an ambulance and firefighters at his centre. During the first test, invigilators kept speaking and shouting for nearly two hours. “During the second examination, decorum was maintained.”

NMC ends routine faculty eligibility clearances, puts onus on colleges

NMC ends routine faculty eligibility clearances, puts onus on colleges

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 

New Delhi : 19.07.2026

Medical colleges across the country will now decide faculty appointments and promotions on their own, with National Medical Commission (NMC) ending routine eligibility clearances. Only exceptional cases involving regulatory ambiguity will be taken up by regulator for a non-refundable fee of Rs 25,000 plus GST. 

The decision comes after the regulator observed that a large number of requests from faculty members, medical colleges, universities and NBEMS-accredited hospitals were being referred to it despite the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, clearly laying down the qualifications, teaching experience, research publication and training requirements for teaching posts. 

Officials said the responsibility for deciding whether a candidate is eligible for. promotion or designation rests with the appointing authority, medical institution or university concerned. Accordingly, Post Graduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) will no longer entertain cases where eligibility can be decided directly under the regulations. 

Only cases involving genuine ambiguity, difficulty in interpreting regulations, equivalence of qualifications or transitional provisions will be considered by PGMEB. Such references must be routed through the dean, director, principal or registrar of the institution with supporting documents.

Individuals may approach NMC directly only if their institution fails to forward a genuine case within 60 days, after fulfilling the prescribed conditions and paying the stipulated fee.

 “Many candidates approached the NMC even in straightforward cases because an NMC eligibility certificate was rarely questioned,” MARB president Prof M K Ramesh told TOI. NMC has also introduced a review mechanism for applicants dissatisfied with an institution’s decision.

With 15k MBBS seats, K’taka now leads medical edu race

With 15k MBBS seats, K’taka now leads medical edu race 

6 Govt Colleges File Appeals Seeking More

 Sruthy Susan Ullas & Srinivasa M | TNN 

Bengaluru :  19.07.2026

Karnataka has become the state with the highest number of MBBS seats in the country this year, with the total rising to 15,395. The tally could increase further, as six govt medical colleges have filed appeals seeking additional seats 

The latest increase comes from three govt colleges — HK Patil Institute of Medical Sciences, Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute, and Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences — each of which has been allotted 50 additional MBBS seats. 

Across the state’s 24 govt medical colleges, the existing intake stood at 4,250 seats. With the addition of 150 seats, the total govt MBBS intake has now risen to 4,400. 

Two new private medical colleges — Alva’s Institute of Medical Sciences and Chettinad Institute of Medical Education — have been granted 150 and 100 seats, respectively. In addition, 15 other private colleges have received approval for increased intake. 

PES University Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, and BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences have each been allotted 100 additional seats, while the remaining colleges have received 50 seats each. Altogether, private medical colleges have added 1,150 seats, taking their total MBBS intake to 10,995.

 “Compared to private medical colleges, only a handful of govt medical colleges have 250 seats despite handling a much larger patient load and higher admissions in their teaching hospitals. Increasing intake in govt colleges will benefit both Karnataka students and candidates under the All-India quota. The National Medical Commission (NMC) should consider this factor while increasing seats,” a medical education department official said.

 “Six govt colleges — in Karwar, Yadgir, Koppal, Haveri, Kodagu, and Shivamogga — have 1 appealed. We’re hopeful as NMC continues granting approvals until the last minute if the govt gives an undertaking to address deficiencies,” said Sujatha Rathod, director of medical education. 

The new seat matrix released by Medical Assessment and Rating Board of NMC shows that the intake at govt run Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) has increased from 150 to 200 seats. Farookh Academy of Medical Education Hospital and Research Institute, Mysuru, has also been permitted to raise its intake from 100 to 150 seats. 

MIMS director Dr Narashimhaswamy P said: “We will meet all the requirements stipulated by NMC for increasing the intake.” Last year, the annual MBBS intake at the century-old Mysore Medical College and Research Institute was increased from 200 to 250 seats. Another premier institution in the city, JSS Medical College, also has an annual intake of 250 seats. There is, however, no change in the annual intake of four other govt medical colleges in the region — Chikkamagaluru Institute of Medical Sciences, Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences and Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences. The Hassan institute continues to have an annual intake of 200 seats, while the other three colleges have 150 seats each.

NMC moves to allow for-profit med colleges Non Profit Tag May No Longer Be Mandatory

NMC moves to allow for-profit med colleges Non Profit Tag May No Longer Be Mandatory

Rema.Nagarajan@timesofindia.com 18.07.2026

For-profit medical colleges may become a reality if the draft amendments to National Medical Commission’s (NMC) regulations for establishing a new medical college go through.

The proposed amendments to Establishment of New Medical Institutions, Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023, which were placed in the public domain on July 13, include one that will allow companies with the primary objective of profit generation to become eligible to establish medical colleges or medical institutions. Objections and suggestions to the draft are to be submitted within 30 days.

The 2023 regulation allowed only “Section 8 companies” to establish medical colleges. Under Section 8 of Companies Act, such a company is a non-profit organisation in which surpluses can only be reinvested in charitable objectives. The amendment will allow all companies incorporated under Companies Act, 2013, to start medical colleges.

In Jan 2017, the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI) amended Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999, to allow all companies registered under Companies Act, 1956, to be listed among organisations permitted to set up a medical college.

The same amendment notification also allowed any autonomous body/society/trust to be converted into a company. However, MCI was disbanded and replaced by NMC, constituted in Sept 2019. The fresh regulations for establishment of medical colleges drafted by NMC allowed only Section 8 companies to set up colleges.

In May 2017, Vedanta, the mining conglomerate, established the first private limited medical college, Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, in Palghar through the entity Vedantaa Institutes of Academic Excellence Private Limited. The institute wrote to Maharashtra govt that since it was registered as a private company, it was allowed to make profits and that its fees did not require approval of the state fee regulatory authority. Though the institute was later forced to submit to fee regulation, its fees remain among the highest among private medical colleges in the state ( ₹15.7 lakh for management seats in 2025), barring deemed university colleges.

Ironically, fees charged by deemed university medical colleges, which are established by trusts and societies and are supposed to be non-profit, are among the highest, and states do not have any quota of seats with lower fees in these institutions. Fees charged by these colleges are not controlled by any regulatory body.

GOING EXTRA MILE: The 2023 regulation allowed only ‘Section 8 companies’ to establish medical colleges

NMC adds 950 MBBS seats to state roster Clears Decks For 9,911 More Seats In India

NMC adds 950 MBBS seats to state roster Clears Decks For 9,911 More Seats In India

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 16.07.2026

Chennai : Medical colleges across Tamil Nadu together expanded MBBS seats by 950 this year, with 13 existing institutions raising their intake. A new private college, APS Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, was added to the roster with 150 seats, according to a seat matrix released by the National Medical Commission. 

The additions bring the state’s capacity to 13,999 seats across 78 medical colleges for the academic year 2026-27, up from 13,049 seats at 77 colleges. 

Across India, NMC has cleared the decks for 9,911 additional seats — including 2,111 seats in govt colleges. The list does not include central govt institutions such as AIIMS. Namakkal, Thiruvallur and Tirupur govt colleges each expanded their intake from 100 to 150 seats, adding 150 seats in the public sector, taking the seat tally in 37 govt colleges to 5,349. Among private institutions, NMC has permitted an increase of 800 seats, including the newcomer. 

Of these, 150 are added to three deemed universities. The remaining 650 will be added to the state matrix, for which the state selection committee will conduct admissions. The additions come as a consolation for a state that has lost 800 MBBS seats from its own counselling matrix after some self-financing colleges and private universities were granted deemed university status. Seats from at least four institutions are expected to be removed from the state list and included instead in the Central pool overseen by Medical Counselling Committee. 

Admission to deemed universities, conducted by the MCM, follows merit in NEET but has no reservations. The annual tuition fee is at about ₹20 lakh. In Tamil Nadu, selffinancing colleges and private universities offer up to 60% seats for govt quota, for which the selection committee follows 69% rule of reservation, and sets aside 7.5% seats for govt school students. 

The annual tuition fee varies from ₹4.35 lakh to ₹5.40 lakh for govt quota seats, and ₹15 lakh to ₹16.20 lakh for managementquota seats. The net effect may not be a squeeze, said a senior official. “150 seats in govt colleges and 650 from private colleges will be added in the state basket,” he added. Health minister K G Arunraj said the state is going ahead with negotiations and moving courts against the grant of deemed university status to some universities. “But the state will ensure new seats are added to the seat matrix,” he said.

NMC plans ban on medical seat hike if buildings not yet complete

NMC plans ban on medical seat hike if buildings not yet complete

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com   14.07.2026

REGULATORY TIGHTENING

New Delhi : Medical colleges will no longer be allowed to seek regulatory approval — for increasing MBBS seats — while their hospitals or academic buildings are still under construction, under amendments proposed by National Medical Commission (NMC). 

The draft regulations — to tighten norms for new medical colleges and MBBS seats —require institutions to have all prescribed infrastructure and statutory approvals in place before applying. Temporary arrangements for hospital and college buildings will no longer be permitted, and institutions with projects still under construction (“work-inprogress”) will not be considered for further processing. 

NMC has also proposed rejecting incomplete applications without giving institutions an opportunity to rectify deficiencies. Those applications lacking mandatory documents or other records specified by Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) will not be treated as valid proposals and may be rejected at the initial stage. 

Under the proposed amendments, applicants must submit a valid ‘consent of affiliation’ from a recognised university at the time of application. Solvency certificate based on the previous financial year, issued by a chartered accountant within 90 days before the application deadline, will also be mandatory.

In another significant change, new medical colleges, as well as those already functioning, will have to maintain a dedicated corpus fund for the operation of the institution. The amount will be decided by MARB and may be revised periodically, with colleges required to furnish documentary proof whenever asked. 

REGULATORY TIGHTENING

அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு முக்கிய அறிவிப்பு! 7.5% மருத்துவ இடஒதுக்கீட்டுக்கு இனி பள்ளிக்கு செல்ல வேண்டிய அவசியமில்லை

அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு முக்கிய அறிவிப்பு! 7.5% மருத்துவ இடஒதுக்கீட்டுக்கு இனி பள்ளிக்கு செல்ல வேண்டிய அவசியமில்லை

Published On: 10 Jul 2026, 7:05 AM

| By Santhosh Raj Saravanan

தமிழ்நாட்டில் 7.5 சதவீத அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கான சிறப்பு இடஒதுக்கீட்டின் கீழ் எம்பிபிஎஸ் (MBBS), பிடிஎஸ் (BDS) உள்ளிட்ட மருத்துவப் படிப்புகளுக்கு விண்ணப்பிக்கும் மாணவர்களுக்கு முக்கிய மாற்றம் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இனி Bonafide Certificate (போனஃபைட் சான்றிதழ்) பெறுவதற்காக பள்ளிகளுக்குச் சென்று அலைவதற்கான அவசியம் பெரும்பாலான மாணவர்களுக்கு இருக்காது. மாணவர்களின் பள்ளிக் கல்வி விவரங்கள் EMIS (Educational Management Information System) தரவுத்தளத்தின் மூலம் சரிபார்க்கப்படும் என்று மருத்துவ மாணவர் சேர்க்கை வழிகாட்டுதலில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்த புதிய நடைமுறை மூலம் அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களின் விண்ணப்ப செயல்முறையை எளிமைப்படுத்துவதுடன், தேவையற்ற ஆவணச் சுமையையும் குறைப்பதே நோக்கமாகும். குறிப்பாக, 7.5 சதவீத உள்ஒதுக்கீட்டின் கீழ் மருத்துவப் படிப்பில் சேர விரும்பும் மாணவர்களுக்கு இது பெரிய நிவாரணமாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

யாருக்கு இந்தச் சலுகை? 2022–23 கல்வியாண்டு அல்லது அதற்குப் பிறகு அரசு பள்ளிகளில் 6-ஆம் வகுப்பு முதல் 12-ஆம் வகுப்பு வரை படித்த மாணவர்களின் கல்வி விவரங்கள் ஏற்கனவே EMIS தரவுத்தளத்தில் இருப்பதால், அவர்கள் தனியாக Bonafide Certificate சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டியதில்லை. அந்த விவரங்கள் மின்னணு முறையில் சரிபார்க்கப்படும்.

ஆனால், 2022–23-க்கு முன்பு மேல்நிலைப் பள்ளிப் படிப்பை முடித்தவர்கள், 7.5 சதவீத அரசு பள்ளி இடஒதுக்கீட்டின் பலனைப் பெற மாவட்ட முதன்மைக் கல்வி அலுவலரிடம் (CEO) இருந்து பெறப்படும் Bonafide Certificate-ஐ சமர்ப்பிக்க வேண்டும் என வழிகாட்டுதலில் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

7.5% இடஒதுக்கீடு யாருக்கெல்லாம்? தமிழ்நாட்டில் அரசு பள்ளிகளில் 6-ஆம் வகுப்பு முதல் 12-ஆம் வகுப்பு வரை முழுமையாகப் படித்து, NEET-UG தேர்வில் தகுதி பெற்ற மாணவர்களுக்கு மருத்துவம் மற்றும் பல் மருத்துவப் படிப்புகளுக்கான அரசு ஒதுக்கீட்டு இடங்களில் 7.5 சதவீத சிறப்பு முன்னுரிமை வழங்கப்படுகிறது. இந்தத் திட்டம் பொருளாதார ரீதியாக பின்தங்கிய அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்கள் மருத்துவக் கல்வியில் அதிகளவில் சேர்வதை ஊக்குவிக்கும் நோக்கில் செயல்படுத்தப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

மருத்துவச் சேர்க்கைக்கு தேவையான முக்கிய ஆவணங்கள் மருத்துவ மாணவர் சேர்க்கைக்கான ஆன்லைன் விண்ணப்பத்தில் மாணவர்கள் NEET மதிப்பெண் அட்டை, 10 மற்றும் 12-ஆம் வகுப்பு மதிப்பெண் சான்றிதழ்கள், மாற்றுச் சான்றிதழ் (TC), சமூகச் சான்றிதழ், தேவையான இடங்களில் இருப்பிடச் சான்று (Nativity Certificate) உள்ளிட்ட ஆவணங்களைப் பதிவேற்ற வேண்டும். அரசு பள்ளி 7.5% ஒதுக்கீட்டின் கீழ் விண்ணப்பிக்கும் மாணவர்களுக்கு EMIS சரிபார்ப்பு நடைமுறையின்படி Bonafide Certificate தேவையா என்பதை வழிகாட்டுதலின் அடிப்படையில் உறுதி செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

மாணவர்கள் கவனிக்க வேண்டியது மருத்துவ மாணவர் சேர்க்கைக்கான விண்ணப்பத்தைப் பூர்த்தி செய்வதற்கு முன், தங்களது பள்ளிக் கல்வி விவரங்கள் EMIS பதிவுகளுடன் பொருந்துகிறதா என்பதை உறுதி செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். ஏதேனும் தகவல் பிழை இருந்தால், உடனடியாக சம்பந்தப்பட்ட பள்ளி அல்லது கல்வி அலுவலகத்தை அணுகி திருத்தம் மேற்கொள்வது நல்லது. மேலும், மருத்துவ மாணவர் சேர்க்கை தொடர்பான அனைத்து அறிவிப்புகளையும் தமிழ்நாடு மருத்துவ மாணவர் தேர்வுக் குழுவின் அதிகாரப்பூர்வ இணையதளத்தில் தொடர்ந்து கவனிப்பது அவசியம்.

இந்த புதிய நடைமுறை, அரசு பள்ளி மாணவர்களின் மருத்துவ மாணவர் சேர்க்கை செயல்முறையை மேலும் எளிமையாக்கும் முக்கிய நடவடிக்கையாக பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. குறிப்பாக, தேவையற்ற ஆவணங்களை பெற பல அலுவலகங்களுக்கு செல்ல வேண்டிய சிரமம் குறைவதுடன், ஆன்லைன் தரவு சரிபார்ப்பு மூலம் விண்ணப்ப செயல்முறை வேகமாகவும் வெளிப்படையாகவும் நடைபெறும் என கல்வி வட்டாரங்கள் கருதுகின்றன.

Med colleges repackage fees as NMC bars internship charges

Med colleges repackage fees as NMC bars internship charges 

Five-Year Fee Payable In 4.5 Years; Cost Unchanged 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   11.07.2026

Chennai : Medical colleges are complying with the National Medical Commission’s April 2026 order barring tuition charges for the mandatory one-year MBBS internship. But instead of reducing costs, institutions have spread the same five-year fee total, or a higher amount, over 4.5 years, raising annual instalments while the overall payout stays the same — or higher. 

A revised fee chart published on the website of a deemed university for its 250 seat MBBS programme illustrates the pattern. Annual tuition fee now stands at ₹25 lakh, billed every year for 4.5 years — a total of ₹1.12 crore — up from ₹21.97 lakh paid across five instalments ( ₹1.09 crore) under the earlier structure. 

Under the NRI quota, students now pay US$52,000 per year, again compressed into 4.5 annual cycles, against US$46,800 per year paid over five instalments earlier. 

Hostel fees ( ₹1.9 lakh for non-AC, ₹2.6 lakh for AC accommodation), transport ( ₹1 lakh for air-conditioned buses) and refundable caution deposits of ₹25,000 each for college and hostel remain unchanged from prior years. 

Another university, which had allowed students to pay ₹28 lakh per year for five years — a total of ₹1.40 crore — has now told parents that if the same amount is paid over 4.5 years, the annual instalment will exceed ₹31 lakh. A third college has told parents it will allow the 4.5 year fee to be paid in five instalments instead of four. 

“It is framed as flexibility, though it changes nothing for families financially,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. Fees for self-financing colleges and private universities are fixed by the state fee fixation committee, but there is no cap on fees charged by deemed universities. 

NMC said colleges cannot ask students to pay fees during their internship year. Last week, state health minister K G 1 Arunraj said the govt will ensure all medical colleges fell in line. “Complaints against management charging additional fees, or those not paying a stipend, can be made anonymously on the state helpline 104,” he said.

State government to take legal action over deemed university status for three private medical colleges

State government to take legal action over deemed university status for three private medical colleges

Health Minister K.G. Arunraj

at the inauguration of the NalamAI WhatsApp chatbot service.B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The Hindu Bureau

CHENNAI. 09.07.2026

With three private medical colleges obtaining ‘deemed to be university’ status, Tamil Nadu will lose 461 medical seats from the State quota, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj said on Wednesday. He added that the State government was exploring legal action, and would file a writ petition soon.

Two days ago, the State government came to know from the website of the National Medical Commission that Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, and St. Peter’s Medical College had been granted deemed university status, he said.

As a result, the State will lose 461 seats from its pool, Dr. Arunraj said, adding: “These institutions will no longer be required to follow the reservation policy, 7.5% horizontal reservation for government school students, or adhere to the fee structure prescribed by the State government. Instead, they could fill MBBS and BDS seats independently.” Additionally, 35 seats under the 7.5% quota would be lost, he said.

The State government will also take up the issue with the Centre to make a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the State government mandatory for private medical colleges to obtain deemed university status, he said.

“Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Srinivasan Medical College are owned by DMK MLA Kathiravan. As they fall under the Tamil Nadu Private University category, they did not apply for NOC with the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, and applied directly to the University Grants Commission,” he told reporters after inaugurating facilities at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

The deemed university status had been granted to St. Peter’s Medical College, Hosur, subject to an appeal filed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, he said. Karpaga Vinayaga Medical College had also applied for the status, he added.

Explaining the process, the Minister said private institutions seeking deemed university status must first obtain an NOC from their affiliated university. The affiliated university is required to issue the NOC within 60 days, failing which it shall be deemed to have been granted as per UGC rules.

In June 2023, the Karpaga Vinayaga institution, which has an engineering college and a medical college, had applied to Anna University and Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University for an NOC. 

However, no action was taken for 60 days. The NOC was issued in September 2023 during the previous regime, and the same was revoked two months later. The institution approached the High Court, and in April 2025, the court ruled that as the NOC was not issued within 60 days, it was deemed to have been issued as per UGC rules. No appeal was filed against the order by the previous government, he said.

The Minister also launched NalamAI, a WhatsApp chatbot service. The service, available on 96192 22999, has been introduced in 22 districts, where the public can generate the outpatient slips without having to wait in queues.

Four pvt colleges exploited legal loopholes: Min ‘Owned By DMK, AIADMK Leaders’

Four pvt colleges exploited legal loopholes: Min ‘Owned By DMK, AIADMK Leaders’ 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK    09.07.2026

Chennai : At least four private colleges that exploited legal loopholes to gain deemed university status, sidestepping the state’s seat-sharing rules and fee caps, are managed or owned by leaders of DMK or AIADMK, health minister K G Arunraj said Wednesday. 

At least 462 govt-quota MBBS seats and 35 seats reserved for govt-school students under the 7.5% quota, along with management-quota and BDS seats, are likely to be stripped from the state’s seat matrix, since allotments to deemed universities are made by the Centre’s medical counselling committee.

 “Two more colleges have applied for deemed status,” Arunraj said. First, two of the colleges by passed the state altogether, going straight to national regulators for approval. Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Srinivasan Medical College, both previously classified as state private universities, were granted deemed status without the state’s knowledge; the govt learnt of it only two days ago, Arunraj said. 

The state will move a writ petition seeking cancellation of the new status. “The college owned by DMK MLA S Kathiravan (Manachanallur) never applied for an NOC, yet it is listed as a deemed university. They used procedural loopholes to bypass the process and approached the UGC directly,” Arunraj said. 

“They violated state rights and social justice. “They are denying meritorious and govt school students their seats,” he added. The DMK govt also ignored mandatory procedures and failed to act on legal options in time. Karpaga Vinayaga sought clearance from Anna University for its engineering programmes and Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University for its medical college, on June 7, 2023. But neither responded within the mandated 60-day window. “So, as per the rules, it was deemed granted. Three months later, the DMK govt issued the NOC. 

For reasons unclear, it was revoked two months later. The college moved the court and got an order in its favour since no reply was given within 60 days. The govt did not appeal the ruling,” Arunraj said. St Peter’s Medical College’s application was decided within the mandated period in Dec 2023; but it was communicated six days late. The college moved Delhi high court and secured a favourable order. The state has appealed against this order, he said. Two other institutions received no response within the deadline, and their NOCs were deemed granted by default. 

The minister called the pattern evidence of political bias in vetting such applications. The state will negotiate with the Centre for legislative amendments while pursuing that legal route. “We want the govt to withdraw the amendments issued in the May 2026 notification and amend the UGC Act to restore state powers,” he said. 

A permanent fix would require moving education to the state list. But as an interim step, the state is pursuing fee caps for deemed-university colleges and seat-sharing arrangements similar to Karnataka’s system, he said. Students facing excessive fees or denied stipends at these institutions can file anonymous complaints with the state’s 104 helpline, the minister added