New Delhi, Sept 24: The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹15,034.50 crore scheme to expand India’s medical education capacity by creating over 10,000 undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) seats by 2028-29.
Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet cleared Phase III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) that will strengthen existing government medical colleges, standalone PG institutes, and attached hospitals. The plan includes 5,023 MBBS seats and 5,000 PG seats, with the per-seat expenditure ceiling raised to ₹1.5 crore.
Funding Model
The scheme will be jointly funded by the Centre and states, with ₹10,303.20 crore coming from the Union government and ₹4,731.30 crore from states.
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Why It Matters
The Health Ministry said the initiative is expected to bridge shortages of specialist doctors, expand access to tertiary healthcare in underserved regions, and provide more opportunities for aspiring medical students within India.
India’s Medical Education Growth
India currently has the largest number of medical colleges in the world, with 808 institutions and over 1.23 lakh MBBS seats. In the past decade alone, more than 69,000 MBBS and 43,000 PG seats have been added.
Ensuring Quality
To support the expansion, the government has also notified the Medical Institution Qualifications of Faculty Regulations, 2025, aimed at easing recruitment norms while maintaining teaching standards. Experts, however, stress that strengthening infrastructure and faculty capacity will be key to the scheme’s success.