Jammu Kashmir Gains 250 MBBS Seats in 5 Years

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has increased its MBBS intake from 1,135 seats in 2020–21 to 1,385 in 2024–25, part of a nationwide expansion that has seen a 39 per cent rise in undergraduate medical seats over the past five years.

The figures, presented in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, show that the Union Territory’s growth in seats is more modest compared to larger states but comes alongside ongoing projects to strengthen existing colleges and set up new ones. The increase is part of the Centre’s Centrally Sponsored Scheme to establish new medical colleges by upgrading district and referral hospitals, with a preference for underserved and aspirational districts.

Nationally, MBBS seats have grown from 83,275 in 2020–21 to 1,15,900 this academic year. Jammu and Kashmir’s expansion coincides with infrastructure upgrades under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), which includes super-specialty blocks and faculty enhancements.

Vacant undergraduate seats remain a challenge nationwide, though the data is not disaggregated for JK. In 2024–25, there were 2,849 unfilled MBBS seats across India (excluding AIIMS and JIPMER), down from 4,146 in 2022–23.

The National Medical Commission’s Minimum Standard Requirement Regulations, 2023, require each medical college to maintain 220 functional beds for an intake of 50 students, establish dedicated facilities such as a Medical Education Unit and Research Centre, ensure full-time faculty, and provide clinical training at both urban and rural health centres.