Cabinet Approves Expansion of Medical Education Capacity: 5,000 PG seats and 5,023 UG MBBS Seats to be Added
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being | SDG 4: Quality Education
Institutions: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) | NITI Aayog
On 24 September 2025, the Union Cabinet, approved a major expansion under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) to upgrade medical education infrastructure. The plan, spanning 2025–26 to 2028–29, allocates ₹15,034.50 crore (centre’s share: ₹10,303.20 crore; states’ share: ₹4,731.30 crore) to add 5,000 postgraduate (PG) seats and 5,023 undergraduate (MBBS) seats across government medical colleges and hospitals.
The scheme will leverage existing medical institutions and facilities to increase capacity, introduce new specialties, and strengthen healthcare access, particularly in underserved and remote regions. It also includes changes in medical faculty eligibility norms to improve recruitment.
This expansion is critical for bridging India’s gap in skilled health workforce, a key bottleneck in achieving Universal Health Coverage. By scaling PG and MBBS seats, the government aims to ensure steady supply of specialists, reduce regional disparity in access, and raise the overall resilience of the health system. From a governance perspective, it will require rigorous oversight on state capacity, faculty recruitment, and infrastructure upgrades to prevent dilution of quality in the rush to expand.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders
How will states ensure parallel strengthening of faculty, medical infrastructure, and clinical exposure when massive seat expansions are approved, so that quality does not lag quantity?
Follow the full news here: Cabinet approves major expansion of postgraduate and undergraduate medical education capacity