New Delhi: The Union Cabinet announced 10K+ new medical seats, marking a major step toward strengthening India’s healthcare system and advancing the goal of universal healthcare, officials said on Saturday.
On September 24, the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved 10,023 new medical seats across existing government colleges and hospitals, investing Rs 15,034 crore.
The move is part of a broader vision to create 75,000 additional medical seats within the next five years.
“Approval of Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme will add significant PG and UG medical seats. This will improve our healthcare system and enhance the medical education infrastructure. It will ensure that every part of India has the availability of skilled doctors,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
While the country — with a population of 1.4 billion — has significantly expanded its medical infrastructure over the past decade, the demand continues to outpace supply.
To make quality healthcare accessible to all — particularly the rural, tribal, and hard-to-reach communities — the Cabinet approved an additional 5,000 post-graduate and 5,023 undergraduate medical seats in existing government colleges and hospitals by 2028-29.
“The total investment for this expansion is Rs 15,034 crore covering the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29. The Union government will fund 68.5 per cent, amounting to Rs 10,303.20 crore, while the states will contribute the remaining Rs 4,731.30 crore. The investment per seat stands at Rs 1.5 crore,” the statement said.
With the addition of medical seats, underserved communities will benefit from a skilled medical workforce, particularly specialists. This will also give aspiring medical students more opportunities to pursue a medical education in India, while the authorities will enhance the quality of medical education to meet global standards.
With more doctors and specialists, India can become a prime destination for providing affordable healthcare and boost foreign exchange. It will also enable underserved rural and remote areas to get accessible healthcare.
New direct and indirect jobs will be added, such as for doctors, faculty, paramedical staff, researchers, administrators, and support services.
India has the highest number of medical colleges (808) and has been expanding its medical educational infrastructure for years.
“The ripple effects will be profound: improved medical education standards, expanded employment opportunities across healthcare sectors, and most importantly, crores of citizens who historically lacked access to quality medical care will receive better health outcomes,” the statement said.
–IANS
