The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved a major expansion of postgraduate and undergraduate medical seats in the country. Under the Phase-Ill of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), the union cabinet approved addition of 5,000 PG seats and 5,023 MBBS seats. The govt has targeted addition of these 10,023 seats in government institutions by 2028-2029.
A press release issued by Union Cabinet said, “The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Phase-Ill of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for strengthening and upgradation of existing State Government/ Central Government Medical Colleges/ Standalone PG Institutes/ Government Hospitals for increasing 5,000 PG seats and extension of the CSS for upgradation of existing government medical colleges for increasing 5,023 MBBS seats with an enhanced cost ceiling of Rs. 1.50 crore per seat.”
As per the govt, this initiative will significantly augment the undergraduate medical capacity, availability of specialist doctors by creating additional postgraduate seats and enable introduction of new specialties across Government medical institutions. This will strengthen the overall availability of doctors in the country.
The total financial implication of these two schemes is ₹15,034.50 crore for a period from 2025-26 to 2028-29. Out of this amount, the central share is ₹10,303.20 crore and the state share is ₹4731.30 crore.
Schemes for augmenting medical seats in government medical colleges/institutions across State/UTs will help augment the availability of doctors and specialists in the country, thereby improving access to quality healthcare, especially in underserved areas. It will also leverage existing infrastructure for cost-effective expansion of tertiary healthcare in the Government institutions as expansion of postgraduate seats ensures a steady supply of specialists in critical disciplines. These schemes aim to promote balanced regional distribution of healthcare resources, while being cost-effective by leveraging existing infrastructure. In the long run, they strengthen the country’s health systems to meet existing and emerging health needs.
