Thousands of medical seats are going vacant: What's really wrong with MBBS admissions in India?
The statistics were presented in response to an unstarred question raised by Telugu Desam Party MP Putta Mahesh Kumar and were sourced from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The highest number of vacancies was recorded in 2022–23 with 4,146 seats remaining unfilled. This number dropped to 2,959 in 2023–24 and further declined to 2,849 in the 2024–25 academic cycle. In 2021–22, 2,012 seats were vacant.
Vacant UG Seats (Excluding AIIMS & JIPMER)
2021–22:
2,012
2022–23:
4,146
2023–24:
2,959
2024–25:
2,849
What's driving the expansion in MBBS seats?
The government attributes the 39% increase in seats to three main factors:
Opening of new medical colleges
Improvements in faculty availability
Strengthening of institutional infrastructure
To ensure quality, the NMC has introduced the Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations, 2023, which prescribe benchmarks for infrastructure, clinical material, faculty, and facilities for establishing and maintaining medical colleges.
Which states saw the biggest jump in seats?
According to government data, states like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have added the most seats between 2020–21 and 2024–25. Smaller states and Union Territories have also seen increases. For instance:
Arunachal Pradesh went from 50 to 100 seats
Manipur from 225 to 525
Nagaland from 0 to 100
Meghalaya from 50 to 150
Full list of MBBS seat expansion by State/UT
State/UT
2020–21
2024–25
Andaman & Nicobar
100
114
Andhra Pradesh
5,210
6,585
Arunachal Pradesh
50
100
Assam
1,050
1,700
Bihar
2,140
2,995
Chandigarh
150
150
Chhattisgarh
1,345
2,105
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
150
177
Delhi
1,422
1,346
Goa
180
200
Gujarat
5,700
7,000
Haryana
1,660
2,185
Himachal Pradesh
920
920
Jammu & Kashmir
1,135
1,385
Jharkhand
780
1,055
Karnataka
9,345
12,194
Kerala
4,105
4,705
Madhya Pradesh
3,585
4,900
Maharashtra
9,000
11,844
Manipur
225
525
Meghalaya
50
150
Mizoram
100
100
Nagaland
0
100
Odisha
1,950
2,675
Puducherry
1,530
1,873
Punjab
1,425
1,699
Rajasthan
4,200
6,279
Sikkim
50
150
Tamil Nadu
8,000
12,000
Telangana
5,240
8,915
Tripura
225
400
Uttar Pradesh
7,428
12,325
Uttarakhand
825
1,350
West Bengal
4,000
5,699
Why do MBBS seats continue to go unfilled?
Despite the steady expansion in capacity, several systemic and structural factors contribute to the underutilisation of available undergraduate medical seats:
High cost of private medical education:
While government colleges remain highly sought-after, a large number of candidates find private options financially out of reach. For students who miss out on a government seat, the cost barrier becomes a deciding factor.
Complex counselling and sudden withdrawals:
Complicated state-level counselling procedures, delayed decisions by candidates, and last-minute withdrawals can disrupt the allocation process and leave seats unfilled.
Limited support in marginalised regions:
Students from rural or underserved areas often face a lack of proper guidance during the admission process, reducing their chances of successfully securing a seat through counselling.
Perceived gaps in institutional quality:
Many candidates prioritise well-established or high-ranking colleges. As a result, newly established or less popular institutions may see a higher proportion of vacant seats despite having the required infrastructure.
What steps is the government taking?
According to the Ministry, the government is implementing multiple strategies to further boost the number of seats while maintaining educational standards.
Centrally sponsored scheme:
A key initiative involves converting district and referral hospitals into medical colleges. So far, 157 medical colleges have been approved under this scheme, and 131 are already operational. These efforts are targeted particularly at underserved and aspirational districts.
Capacity building in existing colleges:
Another central scheme is focused on expanding infrastructure in existing state and central government medical colleges. This is aimed at increasing both MBBS and postgraduate (PG) seat capacity.
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY):
As part of this scheme, 75 government medical colleges are being upgraded through the addition of Super Speciality Blocks. Of these, 71 projects have been completed.
Expansion of AIIMS:
Under the central sector scheme, 22
All India Institutes of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) have been approved. Undergraduate courses have already begun in 19 of them.
The steady increase in MBBS seats points to the government's sustained focus on expanding healthcare education. However, the persistence of vacant seats, even with the rising capacity, raises questions about admission processes, affordability, regional distribution of institutions, and the preparedness of students to meet eligibility criteria.
As infrastructure improves and access broadens, the next steps may lie in addressing why seats are left vacant even when the demand for medical education remains high.
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