India has a total of 86,360 postgraduate (PG) medical seats, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Friday, while announcing a fresh push to strengthen medical education infrastructure across the country. The government has approved a plan to create 5,000 additional PG medical seats over the next four years as part of its efforts to address the growing demand for specialist doctors.The information was shared by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda in response to a starred question raised in the Lok Sabha regarding the expansion of postgraduate medical education.
Centre approves Phase-III scheme to expand postgraduate medical education
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the government has approved Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at strengthening and upgrading existing state and central government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes and government hospitals.Under the scheme, 5,000 new postgraduate medical seats will be added between the financial years 2025-26 and 2028-29. The government has also increased the financial support under the scheme by raising the cost ceiling to Rs 1.50 crore per seat, signalling a larger investment in medical education infrastructure.The expansion is expected to improve access to postgraduate medical training while helping bridge the shortage of specialist doctors across the country.
Karnataka leads in postgraduate medical seats
According to the state and Union Territory-wise data for the 2026-27 academic year, Karnataka has the highest number of postgraduate medical seats in India, with 10,092 seats. Of these, 2,805 are in government medical colleges, while 7,287 are in private institutions.Maharashtra ranks second with 9,216 seats, including 4,277 government and 4,939 private seats. Tamil Nadu follows with 8,023 seats, comprising 3,030 government and 4,993 private seats.Among other major states, Uttar Pradesh has 7,437 postgraduate medical seats, with 3,568 government and 3,869 private seats. Telangana has 5,248 seats, while Andhra Pradesh has 4,782 seats.The figures highlight the concentration of postgraduate medical education in a few states, particularly those with a strong network of private medical colleges.
NMC regulations guide expansion of PG courses
The Centre said the National Medical Commission (NMC) has established a regulatory framework through the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023 and the Post Graduate Minimum Standards Requirement, 2024.Under these regulations, medical colleges seeking to start new postgraduate courses or increase existing seats must meet prescribed standards related to faculty strength, infrastructure, hospital facilities and clinical material. Proposals are evaluated based on these requirements before approval is granted.The framework is intended to ensure that the expansion of medical education does not compromise the quality of training.
NBEMS takes steps to increase specialist training
The government also informed Parliament that the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has introduced several measures to expand postgraduate medical training opportunities.These include easing accreditation norms without affecting educational standards, launching new postgraduate courses, implementing a Joint Accreditation Scheme and encouraging district hospitals to obtain accreditation for NBEMS postgraduate programmes.The board has also been conducting outreach programmes with state governments, public sector undertakings and other stakeholders to increase participation in specialist medical training.
PG medical seat approvals have risen sharply since 2014
The Centre also presented year-wise data showing a significant rise in postgraduate medical seat approvals over the past decade.In 2014-15, the NMC approved 415 seats, while the NBEMS approved 612 seats. The numbers increased steadily over the years.The highest number of NMC approvals came in 2025-26, when 9,084 postgraduate seats were sanctioned. During the same year, the NBEMS approved 2,009 seats.Earlier, in 2024-25, the NMC approved 4,188 seats and the NBEMS approved 1,667 seats. In 2023-24, the respective approvals stood at 4,713 and 1,209 seats.The trend reflects the government’s continued focus on expanding postgraduate medical education capacity to meet the country’s healthcare needs.
No proposal to convert diploma seats into DNB degree seats
Responding to another query, the government clarified that there is currently no proposal to convert all diploma seats into Diplomate of National Board (DNB) degree seats.On the issue of fees, the Centre stated that the regulation of tuition fees for postgraduate medical courses remains the responsibility of individual states and Union Territories and therefore differs across the country.The government noted that the NMC’s 2022 guidelines for fixing fees for 50 per cent of seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities are currently under judicial scrutiny.However, fees for NBEMS programmes—including DNB, DrNB, Fellowship of National Board (FNB) and diploma courses—are centrally regulated and remain uniform nationwide, with an annual course fee of Rs 1.25 lakh.
Expansion aims to strengthen India’s specialist healthcare workforce
With more than 86,000 postgraduate medical seats now available and another 5,000 seats planned over the next four years, the Centre is seeking to strengthen India’s specialist healthcare workforce while improving access to advanced medical training. The expansion, backed by enhanced funding and updated regulatory standards, is expected to support both medical education and the country’s long-term healthcare capacity.
