NMC removes cap on MBBS seats, eases population norm

NMC removes cap on MBBS seats, eases population norm 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 30.04.2026

New Delhi : In a significant policy shift, National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed key restrictions on expansion of MBBS seats, opening the door for a substantial increase in undergraduate medical seats across the country. In a gazette notification issued on April 27, NMC amended its 2023 regulations governing new medical colleges and expansion of existing courses. The amendment deletes a clause that capped total number of MBBS seats at 150 per college for those seeking expansion from 2024–25 academic year. 

Colleges seeking to increase intake will no longer be bound by this upper limit. The commission has also removed the requirement that states maintain a ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population. 

In another change, NMC has revised norms related to the distance between a medical college and its teaching hospital. Instead of a traveltime cap of 30 minutes, the rules now prescribe a maximum distance of 10 km. For northeastern and Himalayan states, the limit has been relaxed to 15 km. 

The amendments have been notified under NMC Act, 2019, and apply to both Undergraduate Medical Education Board’s seat expansion guidelines and Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023. The move is expected to benefit both govt and private medical colleges looking to scale up capacity, particularly in states where demand for seats continues to outstrip supply, while placing the onus on regulators to maintain quality and infrastructure standards. 

Commission’s nod to cardiology diploma after years of wait 

New Delhi : In a move that resolves a long-standing regulatory impasse, National Medical Commission has granted recognition to Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology (PGDCC), effectively validating the degrees of around 1,700 doctors who completed the course between 2006 and 2013. The programme, run by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), was effectively shut down after 2013 following its non-recognition by erstwhile Medical Council of India. The decision, announced by Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists on Tuesday, is also being seen as a step towards addressing shortage of cardiology specialists in underserved regions. The move comes against the backdrop of cardiovascular disease accounting for nearly 28% of deaths in India, even as access to specialists remains skewed towards cities. TNN

NMC mandates MBBS fees only for 4.5 years, not full course duration, to ensure fairness

NMC mandates MBBS fees only for 4.5 years, not full course duration, to ensure fairness 

Certain medical colleges are not just charging fees for the full 5.5 years but are failing to pay stipends during the internship

 Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com EDUCATION TIMES DELHI

20.04.2026

To make medical education affordable and transparent, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a notice instructing all medical colleges to charge MBBS fees strictly for the prescribed academic duration of 4.5 years, and not for the entire 5 or 5.5 years of the programme. 

The directive comes in the wake of complaints that several institutions were collecting fees for the full course duration, including the internship period, even though it does not involve formal academic teaching period for the full duration. The Commission has reaffirmed that the MBBS programme comprises 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by a one-year compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI). Since the internship does not involve classroom-based teaching, charging fees for this period violates prescribed norms. 

The NMC further noted that such practices create unnecessary financial burden on the students and do not align with the framework laid out under the NMC Act, 2019 and the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024. Empowering Students Speaking to Education Times , an NMC official says, “Medical colleges are permitted to charge tuition fees only for 4.5 years, which corresponds to the duration of the academic programme. The subsequent one-year internship is a period of clinical training, during which students work in hospitals and are not to be charged tuition fees. Majority of the institutions adhere to this norm. However, the NMC has received complaints that a few colleges are collecting fees for the entire  5.5-year duration, which is not permissible. 

This concern has prompted the issuance of a public notice.” Highlighting that such practices are not witnessed in government medical colleges, he adds that there were also complaints that certain colleges are not just charging fees for the full 5.5 years but are additionally failing to pay stipends during the internship period. “In cases where noncompliance is established, the NMC will take strict disciplinary action, including the imposition of substantial financial penalties and other regulatory measures as deemed appropriate. The public notice is expected to bring much-needed clarity on the issue and reinforce adherence to existing regulations,” he says.

 Importantly, there has always been a legal basis for students to challenge the collection of excess fees. “This notice serves to reiterate those provisions and to better inform and empower students,” the NMC official adds. Since students are supposed to receive stipends as interns, it should be treated more like an onthe-job training than structured classroom teaching. “Unlike the 4.5 years of formal instruction, the internship year is primarily hands-on, bedside learning without a defined teaching framework. 

Given that students contribute to patient care, and in the light of related court proceedings, it was deemed both ethically and practically inappropriate to levy fees for this period. Consequently, separating the internship from the feebearing academic years is a justified and positive move,” says a health ministry official on condition of anonymity. Government colleges typically charge a modest annual fee of Rs 20,000–30,000 per annum, which is unlikely to pose a significant financial burden on students. “But with private colleges charging fees of around Rs 1 crore for the entire course–though this may vary across states, quota and universities–the challenges get compounded. 

Post the notice, students would no longer have to pay the additional amount in their internship year. For violations, if any, the NMC has the power to reduce the number of seats which will affect the monetary capability of the colleges engaging in this exploitative activity. Alternatively, the NMC can penalise the colleges with Rs 1 crore fine, as it did recently to seven medical colleges that were not paying stipends,” adds the official. 

A recurring concern is that the stipend paid during internship is only a fraction of the fees charged, effectively making students pay to work. “These complaints have been reported across multiple states, with notable frequen-cy in tier-II and tier-III areas,” says Dr Aviral Mathur, consultant, Sir Gangaram Hospital, organising secretary FORDA and past FORDA president.

 Regulatory Control 

Enforcement of the NMC directive, Dr Mathur says, will likely rely on  inspections and recognition of renewals. “Regulatory control through accreditation is the main lever. Colleges, especially newer ones, will need to demonstrate strict compliance, failing which they risk adverse action, including potential derecognition,” he says. 

The directive is expected to provide relief by eliminating a year of unjustified tuition, thereby reducing financial burden, loans, and EMIs. “This is particularly relevant at a stage when students are balancing clinical training with preparation for PG entrance exams. The extent of relief will depend on how uniformly institutions implement the directive,” Dr Mathur says, emphasising that the impact on overall affordability will however be limited.

 While the notice may standardise one aspect of fee practices, the broader issue includes multiple additional charges throughout UG and PG training. “There is also a foreseeable risk that institutions may offset this loss by increasing charges during the 4.5 year academic period, which requires regulatory oversight,” he says. 

Regulations governing fee structures exist to ensure uniformity, transparency, and fairness. “While most institutions comply, a few attempt to circumvent the system. The present notice is intended to deter such practices and uphold the integrity of medical education,” the NMC official adds.

Deemed univs to rake in Rs 2,000 cr thanks to lowering of 2025 NEET PG cut-offs

Deemed univs to rake in Rs 2,000 cr thanks to lowering of 2025 NEET PG cut-offs

Rema NagarajanTNN

Apr 14, 2026, 23:47 IST

Candidates who became eligible after the qualifying cutoff of NEET PG 2025 was lowered took seats worth almost Rs 2,000 crore in 48 medical colleges that are deemed universities. This is an indication of just how important lowering of cutoff was for these private colleges. 

The government slashed the cutoff just before the third round of counselling saying that this would help fill up 18,000 seats lying vacant after the first two rounds especially in pre-clinical and para-clinical specialties. The data for the results of centralised counselling is available only for all-India quota seats and for all postgraduate seats in deemed university private medical colleges. The all-India quota is made up of 50% PG seats in about 300 government colleges. The remaining 50% is filled through counselling that happens at the state level, for which consolidated data is not available. 

TOI analysed the data from allotment of seats in round 3 and the stray round of the centralised counselling, looking at only fresh allotments in the third round and all allotments in the stray round. Candidates are not allowed to change or upgrade their preference after allotment in round 3 and leaving an allotted seat would mean being barred from further participation in counselling and forfeiture of the security deposit (Rs 25,000 for all-India quota seat and Rs 2 lakh for a deemed university seat). Joining a seat and then resigning could attract a seat-leaving penalty also. The analysis showed that the annual tuition fees of the clinical seats filled in the third round by those with lowered cut off in deemed universities amounted to roughly Rs 550 crore. There are two category of seats in these colleges -- management seats and NRI seats. Since PG courses are for three years, that would amount to about Rs 1,650 crore revenue lost if the seat went empty. 

Tuition fees are highest for clinical specialties, especially for so-called high-demand ones like radiology, dermatology, obstetrics and gynaecology and general medicine. In these, the annual fees could be as high as Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore or more. In the stray vacancy round, these colleges filled clinical specialty seats worth Rs 115 crore annually, or Rs 345 crore over the whole course. In the all-India quota, none of the candidates who became eligible due to lowered cutoff got admission to clinical specialties, except those who came through the disability quota. 

In comparison, 970 candidates who became eligible through lowering of the cutoff got clinical specialties in the deemed university colleges in the third and stray rounds. While the outrage over the reduction in cutoff was all about the reserved category getting its cutoff slashed to zero percentile, the allotment data from the two rounds shows that about 38% of over 1,200 all-India seats bagged by those with reduced cutoff were from the general category compared to 24% of OBCs, 25% SC and 14% ST. In the deemed university colleges, of the 1,770 seats bagged by those made eligible by lowering of the cut off, over two-thirds (1,224) were from the general category, while just 4.2% (75) and 0.2% (4) were from the SC and ST categories respectively. 

The skew is even sharper in clinical seats in deemed university colleges, which have the highest tuition fees. Of the 973 clinical seats allotted in the last two rounds that went to those made eligible by the lowered cutoff, 78% (759) were bagged by general category candidates, 19% by OBCs, 2.7% by SCs and 0.3% by STs. In comparison, of the 160 plus clinical seats from the all-India quota, 42% went to the general category, 40% to OBCs, 17% to SCs and 2% to STs. Clearly, more general category candidates benefitted from the lowered cutoff than those from the reserved categories.

MBBS intern stipend disparity row: Govt says issue falls under NMC, no further action

MBBS intern stipend disparity row: Govt says issue falls under NMC, no further action 

Written By : Adity SahaPublished On 

14 Apr 2026 2:30 PM | Updated On 14 Apr 2026 2:30 PM

New Delhi: Amid the long-standing demand to amend the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations, 2021, to ensure a uniform stipend for MBBS interns across the country, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has now stated that it will not take any further action, saying the matter falls entirely within the domain of the National Medical Commission (NMC).

The information in this regard was shared in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Kerala-based ophthalmologist and RTI activist Dr KV Babu, who sought clarity on whether the NMC and its Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) plan to amend the CRMI Regulations to remove disparity in stipend paid to interns across institutions.

On February 22, 2026, Dr Babu submitted RTI applications to the UGMEB and the Medical Education Policy (MEP) section of the Ministry, seeking action on stipend parity.

While the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board reiterated its earlier position that any amendment to the CRMI Regulations, 2021 would require consideration through the statutory process and consultation with all concerned authorities, the Medical Education Policy (MEP) section of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in its RTI reply, clearly outlined its stand on the issue.

In its response dated April 2, 2026, the Ministry stated, "The National Medical Commission (NMC) is the apex statutory body constituted under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, for regulating medical education and profession in the country. All matters relating to framing, amendment, and implementation of medical education regulations fall within the domain of NMC. Therefore, in view of the above, no further action is required to be taken by the MEP Section in the matter, as the subject falls within the domain of the National Medical Commission (NMC)."

Stipend disparity:

The issue was first raised by Dr Babu in June 2022, when he wrote to the Ministry alleging that his suggestions on stipend parity were ignored while finalising the CRMI Regulations, 2021. Despite this, he continued to send multiple reminders.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the doctor requested that the centre withdraw the Gazette Notification dated November 18, 2021, which notified the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations, 2021. He stated that his earlier comments submitted on July 24, 2021, regarding stipend parity were not incorporated before the regulations were finalised. He requested the Government to re-gazette the regulations.

In his representation, he specifically sought an amendment to Clause 6.3 relating to the stipend, which includes - "All the candidates pursuing compulsory rotating internship at the institution from which the MBBS course was completed, shall be paid stipend on par with the stipend being paid to the interns of the State Govt. Medical Institution / Central Government Medical Institution in the State / Union Territory where the institution is located."

While the government medical colleges pay interns between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000, private colleges either pay half of that or none at all. Data from NMC in 2025 showed that 60 of 555 medical colleges were not paying stipends, and many were paying nominal stipends of less than Rs 5,000 per month.

The Supreme Court in its order dated October 28, 2025, pulled up the NMC for delaying action on stipend-related issues. The Court observed that the Commission was “dragging its feet” and directed it to take appropriate steps, while also asking the Ministry to ensure compliance.

Following this, the doctor again approached the Ministry in November 2025. On this, the MEP section wrote to the NMC in November and December 2025, asking it to examine the issue of stipend provisions for undergraduate interns under CRMI Regulations, 2021, keeping in view similar provisions in PGMER Regulations, 2023.

However, in its reply dated February 18, 2026, the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) under NMC noted that any amendment to the existing rule would require a statutory process.

It stated, "As per the CRMI Regulation 2021 it is stated that, the existing regulation already provides for the payment of stipend to interns. However, the actual implementation, including the rate of stipend, is undertaken by the respective States/UTs in accordance with their financial capacity and budgetary provisions. The regulation has been notifled after deliberations with concerned authoritles, experts and competent authorities assigned at the time of formulation of the regulation, The above regulation being statutory notifled after due approval and consultation with MoHFW and the same is laid in the parliament. In view of the above, any amendment to the CRMI Regulations, 2021 , if required would need consideration in accordance with the statritory process and after due consultation with all concerned concerned authorities."

The issue of 19 posts being vacant at NMC, out of the 54 sanctioned strength, was also highlighted in the Parliament.

In response, he again wrote to both the Ministry and NMC on February 22, 2026, requesting an amendment of the regulations. He later filed RTI applications with both authorities. While the UGMEB reportedly reiterated its earlier response, the Ministry declined to intervene, stating the matter is under NMC’s jurisdiction.

"The National Medical Commission (NMC) is the apex statutory body constituted under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, for regulating medical education and profession in the country. All matters relating to framing, amendment, and implementation of medical education regulations fall within the domain of NMC. Therefore, in view of the above, no further action is required to be taken by the MEP Section in the matter, as the subject falls within the domain of the National Medical Commission (NMC)," mentioned the government's response to the RTI.

Dr Babu further alleged inconsistency in the Ministry’s approach, stating that while MEP section of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been reluctant to direct the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board on amending the CRMI Regulations for stipend parity, it had promptly intervened in May 2022 on another matter. He pointed out that, based on a representation dated May 3, 2022, the Ministry had directed the National Medical Commission to convene a joint meeting under Section 50 of the NMC Act by May 31, 2022, regarding suggestions for the “Swasth Bharat” roadmap.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Babu told Medical Dialogues, "The issue of stipend parity has been pending with the NMC & GOI for almost five years. Though following the SC order of 28th October 2025, the Govt took a proactive decision to amend CRMI regulations in line with PGME regulations, the nominated, almost vacant, UGMEB is not inclined to amend the regulations for stipend parity even after harsh criticism from the SC & communications from the Govt."

He further said, "It should be noted that, though GOI have the authority to direct the NMC/UGMEB to amend the regulations for stipend parity, they are absolving the responsibility, though they had no hesitation in directing the NMC to act on issues which suits them earlier. It should be presumed that the GOI & the nominated vacant UGMEB are hand in glove in denying stipend parity to the interns."

NMC declares unrecognised dept teaching invalid for medical professionals

NMC declares unrecognised dept teaching invalid for medical professionals

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, Updated At : 12:28 PM Apr 11, 2026 IST

Photo for representation. iStock

Now, any teaching experience certificate issued on the basis of service rendered in an unrecognised department/unit would be treated as “invalid” for determining eligibility, appointment, promotion, or academic recognition.

In a significant move aimed at maintaining standards in medical education, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued an advisory directing all health universities, state governments, and medical colleges not to count postgraduate teaching or training experience obtained from unrecognised departments.

The commission has also declared that teaching experience certificates issued on such a basis will be treated as invalid. A communiqué in this respect has been circulated to Vice-Chancellors of health universities, Directors General of Health Services of states and Union Territories, and heads of all medical colleges offering postgraduate courses, seeking strict compliance.

“The NMC has observed, in certain instances, that teaching experience certificates and postgraduate training experience are being claimed by the faculty or certified by universities/institutions on the basis of departments or units that are not recognised or permitted by the commission for conducting postgraduate medical education,” reads the communiqué.

The NMC clarified that such practices violate existing regulations governing postgraduate medical education. It has also placed the responsibility on universities and institutions to verify the recognition status of departments before issuing teaching experience certificates. Medical colleges and affiliating universities have been directed to ensure that no certificates are issued for experience gained in unapproved departments. The NMC reiterated that teaching experience for faculty appointments or recognition as postgraduate teachers must be obtained only from recognised medical colleges and duly approved departments.

These departments must have approved infrastructure, adequate faculty strength, and permitted postgraduate seats as per NMC records and regulations, including the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, and the Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025. The advisory further stated that postgraduate training or teaching experience obtained from unrecognised departments will not be counted for eligibility to appear in postgraduate examinations, recognition as a postgraduate teacher or guide, appointment or promotion to faculty posts, or determination of teaching experience for academic and administrative purposes.

Additionally, the commission made it clear that any teaching experience certificates issued on the basis of service rendered in unrecognised departments or units will be considered invalid for appointments, promotions, or academic recognition. “The move aims to curb irregularities in faculty appointments and ensure quality medical education across the country,” said an official at the University of Health Sciences, Rohtak.

NEET PG: Rajasthan HC relief to doctor denied admission over permanent registration certificate Written By : Barsha Misra

NEET PG: Rajasthan HC relief to doctor denied admission over permanent registration certificate Written By : Barsha Misra

Published On 4 Apr 2026 3:17 PM  |  Updated On 4 Apr 2026 3:17 PM

Rajasthan High Court  06.04.2026

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court provided relief to a NEET PG 2025 candidate who was earlier denied postgraduate medical admission due to the lack of a Permanent Registration Certificate.

Referring to Rule 8(3) of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000, the HC bench comprising Dr. Justice Nupur Bhati clarified that as per these regulations, candidates are given a period of one month after admission for obtaining permanent registration and when the law provides a period of one month, the State Government cannot impose a more stringent condition through the information booklet.

The bench clarified that administrative instructions or information bulletins cannot weaken or repeal any statutory rule and directed the college to grant her admission.

As per the latest media report by Live Law, the concerned petitioner in this case obtained a temporary registration from the Chhattisgarh Medical Council after completing MBBS and was performing the necessary service for permanent registration. However, during this time, the petitioner appeared in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2025 examination and was allotted a medical college.

When the petitioner reported to the college, admission was denied on the grounds that the petitioner did not have a permanent registration certificate.

While considering the matter, the bench cited Rule 8(3) of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000 and observed, "This provision has been made with the objective that meritorious students who are in the registration process at that time should not face unnecessary hardship."

In this regard, the bench clarified that when the law itself provides a periof of one month, the State Government impose a more stringent condition through the information booklet.

Terming this move of the State as arbitrary and against the law, the bench said that it was wrong to deny admission only based on lack of certificate. Accordingly, the bench issued directions to the State Government to grant immediate admission to the petitioner.

52 NEET PG seats lying vacant after med counselling

52 NEET PG seats lying vacant after med counselling

Hemanta Pradhan

Mar 21, 2026, 22:38 IST. ODISHA

52 NEET PG seats lying vacant after med counselling Bhubaneswar: After medical counselling for NEET PG seats got over, 52 out of 615 PG seats are lying vacant in different medical colleges of the state because there are fewer candidates for non-clinical subjects compared to clinical subjects. Dr Jyotish Chandra Choudhury, head of the FMT department, SCB Medical College and Hospital, who looks after the counselling part of NEET PG seats in Odisha, said around 52 medical PG seats are lying vacant in both govt and private medical colleges."After the counselling is over, we have submitted the vacancy data to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC)," he added. According to a Rajya Sabha reply from the ministry of health and family welfare on March 17, as many as 1,140 PG medical seats are lying vacant across medical colleges in the country after the counselling got over. The ministry said the qualifying percentile was reduced to ensure that valuable PG medical seats do not remain vacant. But the seats did not fill up this year too. Though the reply did not have a reason for this vacancy, experts said candidates mostly choose clinical subjects, including radiology, dermatology, general medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, and general surgery. 

Many of the candidates who receive good ranks in NEET PG do not prefer non-clinical subjects like anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and pathology. "Many candidates want clinical subjects so that they can contribute in a big way to the treatment of patients. They can also get the opportunity to earn a good amount of money in these clinical subjects," said a doctor from SCB Medical College and Hospital. MCC under the Directorate General of Health Services handles counselling for 50 % of All India Quota seats and 100% of seats in Central and Deemed Universities. State govts conduct counselling for state quota seats, while state counselling authorities also handle private medical college admissions.

India is adding NEET PG seats fast: Why are thousands going vacant?

India is adding NEET PG seats fast: Why are thousands going vacant? 

India is creating more NEET PG seats than ever, but a stubborn question keeps returning: why do so many still go vacant? 

Rajya Sabha data shows a sharp rise in postgraduate seat addition alongside a persistent trail of empty seats. The result is a medical education system expanding rapidly, yet unable to make a significant slice of its specialist seats worth taking.

Saswati SarkarTOI Education

Mar 13, 2026, 18:55 IST

Thousands of NEET PG seats go empty. 

The Centre has recently released fresh figures showing a major expansion in medical education. The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on March 10 that 43 new medical colleges had been set up for the 2025–26 academic year and 11,682 MBBS seats and 8,967 postgraduate seats had been approved throughout the country.That’s 20,649 seats in total. 

The postgraduate number, the ministry said, covers seats in AIIMS and other Institutes of National Importance. The response also cited the government’s preferred blueprint for expansion: Link new medical colleges to existing district or referral hospitals and position the exercise as a solution to regional imbalance. A total of 157 medical colleges have been approved via the centrally sponsored scheme at a cost of ₹41,332.41 crore up to now. It has already delivered ₹23,246.10 crore of its share of ₹26,715.84 crore, the ministry noted. That stated priority is known and politically potent: Underserved areas, aspirational districts, spots where the map of medical education has long felt thin. But seat creation is an easy headline. The uncomfortable narrative begins when the glow of the press note wanes. Even as the system keeps adding capacity, it has been struggling to fill a substantial number of postgraduate medical seats. 

This is not a stray aberration. Rajya Sabha data shows vacant PG seats have persisted in the thousands across years. As a consequence, the NEET PG qualifying percentile had to be cut sharply to keep seats from lying empty. That is the paradox now staring at the system. India is generating the optics of mass expansion, but part of that expansion isn’t attracting takers without constantly lowering the entry threshold. So the real question is no longer how many seats have been created. It is why so many postgraduate medical seats still need to be rescued. India’s NEET PG seat curve takes a sharp upward turn Data presented in the Rajya Sabha in February 2026 by Patel shows that the story of postgraduate medical seat expansion over the last five years has not been one of calm, steady growth. It has moved in jolts. INDIA'S MEDICAL SEAT EXPANSION: A SNAPSHOT

Academic year

NEET UG seats added

NEET PG seats added

2021–22

8,790

4,705

2022–23

7,398

2,874

2023–24

9,652

4,713

2024–25

8,641

4,186

2025–26

11,682

8,416

Source: Data presented by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in Rajya Sabha, February 2026

In 2021–22, the increase stood at 4,705 seats. A year later, it dropped sharply to 2,874. It climbed back to 4,713 in 2023–24, slipped again to 4,186 in 2024–25, and then suddenly shot up to 8,416 in 2025–26. That last number changes the texture of the trend. For four years, postgraduate expansion stayed trapped below the 5,000-seat mark, moving forward, then stumbling, then recovering, then losing pace again. Then came 2025–26, and the graph stopped behaving like a cautious line. With 8,416 PG seats added in a single year, the latest figure is not just the highest in the series, it is almost double the previous year’s addition. This is not incremental growth but a visible shift in scale. This is particularly important because the NEET PG story is the more serious end of medical education. 

While MBBS seats widen entry, PG medical seats strengthen the specialist pipeline. They decide how many trained doctors move into advanced disciplines, teaching roles and higher-end institutional care. So when PG seat expansion suddenly leaps like this, it suggests that the system is trying to push harder at the specialist end, where capacity has historically grown more unevenly. The undergraduate trend, by comparison, looks steadier. UG seat addition stood at 8,790 in 2021–22, fell to 7,398 in 2022–23, rose to 9,652 in 2023–24, dipped to 8,641 in 2024–25, and then climbed to 11,682 in 2025–26. So yes, MBBS expansion remains strong and politically visible. But it is the PG curve this year that really grabs attention. The undergraduate line rises. The postgraduate line lurches and in 2025–26, it lunges. NEET PG: The problem of increasing seats and rising vacancies A temporary problem is supposed to leave after making a mess. The issue of vacant seats in India’s postgraduate medical education seems to have unpacked its bags. 

VACANT MEDICAL SEATS IN INDIA: A FOUR-YEAR SNAPSHOT

Academic year

Vacant UG seats

Vacant PG seats

2021–22

141

3,744

2022–23

2,027

4,400

2023–24

490

3,028

2024–25

380

2,849

Source: Data presented by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare in Rajya Sabha, February 2026

For four consecutive academic years, NEET PG seats have remained vacant and the numbers are too large to be dismissed and too consistent to be treated as an exception. The count stood at 3,744 in 2021–22 and worsened to 4,400 in 2022–23. After that, it softened somewhat: 3,028 in 2023–24 and 2,849 in 2024–25. But this recovery is not reassuring in any sense. A system that still leaves nearly three thousand postgraduate seats empty is not battling a stray counselling hiccup. It is revealing a deeper discomfort. The state keeps producing seats but candidates keep refusing a significant chunk of them. The seat exists on paper, but not quite in aspiration. The undergraduate comparison only makes the contrast harsher. 

UG vacancies were a mere 141 in 2021–22. 

They spiked to 2,027 in 2022–23, but then fell sharply to 490 in 2023–24 and 380 in 2024–25. The UG curve looks bruised but capable of self-correction. The postgraduate curve, unfortunately, does not. The system here is not merely struggling to fill seats. It is struggling to make enough of them feel worth taking. Why young doctors are walking past NEET PG seats The story of vacant PG medical seats is not one of reluctant students. The vacancy trail, according to Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), suggests something more serious. He puts it bluntly, “Vacant seats are a symptom of systemic dysfunction, not student apathy.” The dysfunction begins, he argues, with the way seats are being created. “Seats have been added rapidly without ensuring adequate faculty strength, patient load, clinical exposure and teaching infrastructure,” says Krishnan. These are major pain points for postgraduate doctors. The second problem is where many of these seats are located and what kind of institutional life they offer. “Many vacant seats are concentrated in remote or underserved regions and in institutions with erratic stipends, excessive workload, inadequate safety and weak academic culture,” Dr Krishnan observes. “Young doctors are not avoiding service, they are avoiding exploitative and unsafe training environments.” 

He also points to the deterrent effect of state bond policies. “Long compulsory service periods, financial penalties running into lakhs and unclear enforcement mechanisms deter candidates, especially those from modest backgrounds, from accepting seats that may trap them in prolonged or uncertain obligations,” Krishnan says. Add to these the problems of multiple rounds of counselling, last-minute rule changes, and poor inter-state coordination. “All these result in candidates losing eligibility, seats remaining blocked till late rounds and no practical window for relocation,” he adds. Bottom line In the end, the NEET PG vacancy story is not about a few leftover seats after counselling. 

The problem is not one of dwindling aspiration, but of value creation. Adding more seats to boost higher education in medicine is an achievement for sure, but only if those seats offer the kind of reliability that aspirants find good enough to go for. A seat existing in theory and government documents cannot make it worthwhile. Policymakers need to stop treating the empty PG seats as temporary embarrassment that can be covered up by the easiest shortcut: Percentile reduction. They need to acknowledge and address the hard truths behind this systemic failure to make medical specialization in India a worthy pursuit. Click here for the February 2026 Rajya Sabha data.

NMC warns against ‘fake’ patients in medical colleges

 

NMC warns against ‘fake’ patients in medical colleges

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI  03.02.2026

Medical colleges admitting “fake patients” can see their applications for new postgraduate courses or additional seats immediately rejected, the National Medical Commission (NMC) warned in a recent order.

The commission said some medical colleges admit people who do not require any treatment to fulfill the requirement of bed occupancy and investigations. It said “fake patient practice” will invite punishment if it is reported during an assessment.

The NMC approves additional medical college seats through a stringent, time-bound online process conducted by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB). Experts note that key aspects include adherence to the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, and Undergraduate Minimum Standard Requirements, with strict deadlines for submission.

The NMC said that detection of fake patients may result in barring the institution from starting new courses or from increasing intake in existing courses for a period specified by the MARB. It can affect the renewal of UG and existing PG courses.

The commission has laid down guidelines to identify fake patients. These include patients admitted on the day of, or just before, an assessment. Those who have minor ailments that can be treated on an outpatient basis, and those admitted without X-ray, blood reports or any in-patient treatment such as intravenous cannula, injections, and catheterisation will be treated as “fake” patients. Multiple patients from the same family being admitted, and patients admitted in large numbers through preventive health check-up camps are also “fake”. In paediatric wards, playful children admitted without any significant problem will be categorised as “fake”.

The NMC said the assessment will consider the faculty, infrastructure, clinical material/indicators, and quality of education of the college.

Student with 1/800 score in NEET-PG bags MS orthopaedics seat at pvt college in Hyderabad

Student with 1/800 score in NEET-PG bags MS orthopaedics seat at pvt college in Hyderabad

Ajay Tomar

Feb 12, 2026, 3:24 IST

Student with 1/800 score in NEET-PG bags MS orthopaedics seat at pvt college in Hyderabad Your TOI+ subscription ends in 25 days Subscribe Now! Renew Now

Hyderabad: The sharp reduction in the cut-off for national eligibility-cum-entrance test for postgraduate (NEET-PG) seats, announced recently, has left Telangana's medical fraternity worried. Especially after several PG medical seats — including high-risk clinical and surgical specialties — were filled by candidates with extremely low scores, during the third round of counselling released conducted by the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS). 

The list shows how many candidates with poor scores gained admission into premier institutions. 

In one case, for instance, a candidate with a score of 1 out of 800 — and an all-India rank of 2,29,981 — secured an MS orthopaedics seat at a prominent private medical college in Hyderabad. Similarly, PG seats in forensic medicine and pathology at a noted govt medical college in the city were allotted to candidates who scored 12 and 24 marks, respectively. 

In Jan this year, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), along with the central health ministry lowered qualifying percentiles — from 50th to seven for general category — to fill more than 18,000 vacant PG seats nationwide for the 2025–26 academic session. Candidates from OBC, SC, ST, and PwD categories with even negative scores are now deemed eligible for counselling. Following this revision, several candidates in Telangana have landed seats in institutions such as Osmania Medical College (OMC), Gandhi Medical College (GMC), and other reputed colleges, including in high-demand specialties such as orthopaedics, paediatrics, general medicine, and others. 

"Surgical branches such as orthopaedics, and paediatric surgery have always been among the most in-demand specialities. Filling these seats with candidates scoring as low as one mark reflects a system under severe strain," said Dr Ajay Kumar Goud, general secretary of the Telangana Junior Residents Doctors' Association (T-JUDA). "Allowing clinical and surgical branches to be filled at near-zero percentiles is a serious dilution of standards and directly risks patient safety," he added. ‘Will not fix system' Experts also pointed out how lowering percentiles will not fix the system if infrastructure and faculty shortages persist.

 "The issue points to deeper structural problems - rapid expansion of PG seats without proportional growth in trained faculty, overcrowded classrooms, and declining bedside training," said Dr Kiran Madhala, secretary-general of the Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA). The current policy also differs from the Centre's earlier stance. In July 2022, while opposing a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking reduction of NEET-PG cut-offs, the govt had argued that minimum qualifying standards were essential to maintain academic quality. The High Court had upheld that lowering standards in medical education could "wreak havoc on society." Doctors warned that the consequences may surface years later. 

"Training gaps today will reflect when these doctors practise independently. Critical specialties require quick, high-risk decision-making, and this trend may weaken emergency care services," added Dr Madhala. "While measures like conducting NEET twice a year may help reduce vacancies, they cannot replace merit-based selection. Any dilution of eligibility criteria compromises clinical excellence and public trust," said Dr Srinath Dubyala, president, Federation of All India Medical Association.

Bar for NEET-PG lowered: Just show up Students And Experts Oppose Move

Bar for NEET-PG lowered: Just show up 

Students And Experts Oppose Move

 Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 11.02.2026

Chennai : National medical commission will continue to use NEET-PG 2026 as criterion for admissions to master’s programmes in medicine. Yet, candidates can qualify simply by showing up, even if they answer every question incorrectly or skip them entirely. 

NMC chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth told TOI that after two rounds of admission in 2025, cut-offs were slashed to a NEET-PG score of -40. “We were left with no choice. More than 10,000 seats were vacant. There were vacancies in clinical courses at govt colleges,” he argued. 

Results of the 3 rd round released by the medical counselling committee drew fire as students with low scores, including single digits out of 800, grabbed govt seats in high-demand courses such as orthopaedics. “Doing away with eligibility scores will not take away priority from meritorious students. Many competitive examinations abroad follow this model. Students who have better scores can opt for a preferred course and institution. 

A student with a lower score will not be placed over a meritorious candidate. It will avoid delays in the admission process,” he said. Students and experts have vehemently opposed the move. “NMC is not an efficient regulatory body like the UK’s general medical council or the American board of medical specialities,” argued Dr Priya G, who is awaiting PG admissions. 

“We wrote the exam in August and received scorecards the same month. But the admission is yet to be completed. Every year, we see a new set of problems in admissions, from paper leaks to errors in scoring and counselling mismanagement,” she said. 

Academic counsellors say that if the commission decides to allow students with poor scores to take part from round one, it will dilute merit entirely. “Seats go to the highest bidder, not the best prepared. There are vacancies, but for that, we cannot reward failure,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “It seems very wrong because this system seems to supply candidates to colleges that charge very high fees,” he said.

44 for Gynaecology, 4 for Ortho: What's behind alarmingly low NEET PG cut-offs for medical seats

44 for Gynaecology, 4 for Ortho: What's behind alarmingly low NEET PG cut-offs for medical seats

This shift was especially noted during the third round of counselling for the 2025–26 session, where seat allotments were recorded at record low scores.

Updated on: Feb 10, 2026 11:15 PM IST

Written byPriyanjali Narayan

The recent rounds of NEET PG counselling have highlighted an unusual admission pattern in government medical colleges, with candidates securing postgraduate seats at exceptionally low scores across several specialties in government institutions.

In one of the most striking instances, an MS Orthopaedics seat at a government medical college in Rohtak was allotted to a candidate who scored just 4 marks out of 800, (Representative image/Unsplash)

This has raised questions as it also includes core clinical and surgical branches across several states.

This stark shift was especially noted during the third round of counselling for the 2025–26 academic session, where seat allotments were recorded at single-digit and low double-digit scores in multiple disciplines.

What is happening?

In one of the most striking instances, an MS Orthopaedics seat at a government medical college in Rohtak was allotted to a candidate who scored just 4 marks out of 800, according to an NDTV report.

At a government medical college in Tamil Nadu, a Physiology seat was allotted to a candidate with a minus 12 score. Meanwhile, a premier Delhi medical institution saw an Obstetrics and Gynaecology seat allotted at 44 marks, while a General Surgery seat was filled at 47 marks, the report added.

How low scores can lead to top colleges?

These outcomes followed the Union Health Ministry’s decision to substantially lower NEET-PG qualifying thresholds for the 2025–26 academic session.

Under the revised criteria, the cut-off score for the general category was reduced to 103 from the earlier 276, the report stated.

For SC, ST and OBC categories, the cut-off was brought down to minus 40 from the earlier score of 235, allowing candidates with extremely low — and in some cases negative — scores to qualify for counselling.

The impact was visible across disciplines. Seats were allotted at 10 marks in Transfusion Medicine, 11 marks in Anatomy and even minus 8 marks in Biochemistry, particularly under reserved and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) categories.

Why low score selections can be a problem?

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to explain its drastic reduction of the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26, according to a PTI report.

"Then the argument will be that the standards are being lowered and the counter-argument is that seats are going waste. So, somewhere there has to be a balance," the bench observed.

Who is raising the issue?

Doctors’ bodies, including the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the Federation of Doctors Association (FORDA), had raised an issue even during the second rounds of counselling.

In a letter addressed to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, FAIMA president Dr Rohan Krishnan said that reducing the qualifying percentile to zero sets a dangerous precedent for the future of India’s medical education system.

NEET-PG cut-off: Single-digit scores land PG seats in top med colleges

NEET-PG cut-off: Single-digit scores land PG seats in top med colleges 

TIMES OF INDIA 09.02.2026

New Delhi : A steep cut in NEET-PG qualifying standards has led to postgraduate medical seats in govt colleges being filled at shockingly low scores — including in high-risk clinical specialties — triggering alarm across the medical fraternity, reports Anuja Jaiswal. 

The impact was stark in third-round PG counselling, where candidates secured seats in govt medical colleges with scores ranging from single digits to double digits, spanning both clinical and non-clinical disciplines. Even premier institutions and core clinical branches saw seats being allotted to candidates with such scores. 

An MS orthopaedics seat at a govt institute in Rohtak was allotted to a candidate with just 4 marks out of 800, while obstetrics and gynaecology at a premier Delhi medical college went to a candidate who scored 44 marks. A general surgery seat was filled at 47 marks. 

 Removing cut-offs altogether risks patient safety, says doc This signals a serious breakdown in medical education and workforce planning,” said a senior faculty member at a govt medical college.

 “Orthopaedics has traditionally been among the most demanding surgical specialties. Filling it at near-zero scores is a sign not of weaker students but a system under severe strain.” This happened following the sharp lowering of NEETPG qualifying standards by Union health ministry for the 2025–26 academic session, with drastically reduced cutoffs across categories allowing candidates with extremely low — and even negative — scores to qualify. 

The effect was visible across disciplines. Seats were filled at 10 marks in transfusion medicine,  11 marks in anatomy, and minus 8 marks in biochemistry, many under reserved and PwD categories. While the revised cutoffs ensured that seats did not remain vacant, doctors warn the policy risks trading competence for convenience.

 “Allowing surgical and clinical branches to be filled at zero or near-zero percentile represents a serious erosion of standards,” said a senior doctor at a govt medical college. “Marks as low as 4, 11, 44 or 47 out of 800 point to a lack of basic aptitude. Removing cut-offs altogether directly risks patient safety.” The current policy marks asharp shift from govt’s earlier stand.

 In July 2022, opposing a plea to lower NEET-PG cut-offs in Delhi HC, Centre had argued that minimum qualifying percentiles were essential to maintain education standards. The court agreed, warning that lowering medical education standards could “wreak havoc on society”, as medicine involved matters of life and death. Defending the present framework, a senior health ministry official said PG seats are allotted strictly under revised eligibility rules, and competence is intended to be ensured through training and exit exams, not entry cut-offs alone. 

Colleges are certified by regulators and are responsible for failing unsuitable candidates, the official said. Medical educators, however, say the trend reflects deeper structural problems — rapid seat expansion without a matching rise in trained faculty, overcrowded classrooms and eroding bedside skills. “Without strong faculty, robust exit exams and a system to weed out unsuitable candidates, anyone who enters medicine eventually gets a degree,” said a senior academician. Faculty members say the consequences are already visible. 

Many postgraduate students arrive without strong theoretical foundations, clinical skills or discipline. Pressure to pass students, weak exit mechanisms and over-reliance on online learning have further diluted training quality. “Easy entry has reduced seriousness even at top institutions,” said another doctor on condition of anonymity. “Numbers are rising, but training quality is falling — and that poses long-term risks to patient care.” Doctors caution that the branch of medicine does not reveal its failures immediately. Gaps in training today may surface years later, when these doctors practise independently — with serious implications for patient safety and public trust in the healthcare system. 

09/02/2026, 07:54 Times of India ePaper bangalore - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-bangalore.cms 2/3 09/02/2026, 07:54 Times of India ePa

HC relief for MBBS student seeking spot on NRI quota list

HC relief for MBBS student seeking spot on NRI quota list 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 03.02.2026

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat high court on Monday directed the Medical Counselling Committee of the directorate general of health services to consider the candidature of MBBS Swara Kiran Bhatt for her inclusion in the merit list of eligible candidates for NEET-PG Round 3 in the NRI quota, despite her failure to upload one mandatory document – the NRI sponsor’s passbook – during the application process. 

While ordering MCC to consider Bhatt’s candidature, Justice Nirzar Desai directed her to deposit Rs 1 lakh with the HC legal services committee, as the student herself expressed a desire to donate the amount irrespective of whether she ultimately secured admission in PG courses or not. 

According to the case details, Bhatt cleared her MBBS on an NRI seat, sponsored by her maternal aunt. She took NEET-PG 2025 and secured an All India Rank of 1,80,339, and her score was much above the cut-off marks. When she applied for the PG courses, she failed to upload the sponsor’s passbook. This resulted in rejection of her candidature, and she approached the HC seeking a direction to MCC to include her name in the NRI eligible list and permit her participation in counselling. 

It was submitted that though she could not upload the sponsor’s passbook, a mandatory document to be supplied for eligibility in the NRI quota, she sent the document by email to the authority on Jan 30. The omission was a minor lacuna and must not cost the student her career. MCC’s counsel Ankit Shah opposed the petition, stating that the admission process substantially progressed and the counselling window was set to close on Monday noon, when the arguments took place. 

He maintained that nonuploading of the sponsor’s passbook justified nonconsideration of her candidature. After the hearing, the high court said, “It is expected that a person who already became a doctor and aspires to become a specialist would adhere to and maintain the requisite precision, and be absolutely meticulous while uploading the application form. However, such a minor mistake of failing to upload a single document ought not to result 

 Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-ahmedabad.cms