The Indian government has reported a remarkable 102% increase in medical colleges and a 130% rise in MBBS seats since 2014, aiming to strengthen healthcare access and meet global standards.

India now has 780 medical colleges compared to 387 in 2014, reflecting a 102% surge, Union Health Minister JP Nadda informed the Lok Sabha last week.

MBBS seats have also soared from 51,348 in 2014 to 1,18,137 in 2024, a 130% jump. This significant growth is attributed to policies encouraging the establishment of new colleges and the expansion of existing ones.

PG seats have risen by 135%, from 31,185 in 2014 to 73,157 in 2024.

STATES MAKING BIG STRIDES

Several states saw major progress in their medical education infrastructure. Uttar Pradesh now leads with 86 medical colleges, up from 30 in 2014, and has expanded its MBBS seats from 3,749 to 12,425.

Karnataka has 73 colleges, Maharashtra increased its count from 44 to 80, and Rajasthan rose from 10 colleges to 43.

Telangana, which had no medical colleges in 2013-14, now boasts 65 colleges and 9,040 MBBS seats.

Tamil Nadu added 5,835 MBBS seats, reaching a total of 12,050. Smaller states and UTs, such as Nagaland and Mizoram, opened their first medical colleges, while Telangana stands out with exponential growth.