Post NEET controversy, Centre plans to increase undergrad medical seats by 3,000
New Delhi: Facing flak over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) scandal, the union government plans to increase the number of undergraduate (UG) medical seats by 3,000 for the coming academic session (2024-25), taking the total to over 115,000 seats. This year's entrance tests to medical schools, known as NEET, have been hit by scandals over leaks of the exam papers. The plan approved by the National Medical Commission (NMC)—India’s apex medical education regulator—also includes approval for setting up 28 new private medical colleges.
The undergraduate session 2024-25 will commence in September. Last year, NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) invited online applications for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, for which 1,845 applications were received. Out of these,113 were received for establishment of new medical college, 58 for the increase of seats in existing medical institution, 1,010 for starting of new postgraduate course, and 665 for more seats in existing postgraduate courses.
“MARB is dealing with the application assessment process, and results are still going on. The board is dealing with the first appeal at NMC and following which second appeals would be held in the health ministry. However overall, approx.
3000 more undergraduate seats will be added to this academic session," said an official aware of the matter, adding that thr number of UG seats may increase further after the review of appeal process concludes. “NMC has not approved all the applications for new colleges, otherwise the number of seats would be over 10,000. It filters and monitors the application very closely and hence the commission has approved about 25% of new medical colleges out of 113 applications," said
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