2,849 MBBS Seats Remain Vacant in 2024 Despite 39% Increase Since 2020: Union Minister

Despite a 39% increase in MBBS seats over the last five years, from 83,275 in 2020–21 to 1,15,900 in 2024–25, nearly 2,849 undergraduate medical seats remained vacant in 2024, according to National Medical Commission data shared in the Parliament session. 

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, speaks in Lok Sabha during the Parliament's monsoon session concerning the vacant MBBS seats in 2024. The minister underlined that despite a substantial increase in the number of MBBS seats across the country, a total of 2,849 seats for the MBBS programme remain vacant in 2024-25. 

In answer to a question from Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel notified Parliament that 2,012 undergraduate medical seats were empty in 2021-22, 4,146 in 2022-23, 2,959 in 2023-24, and 2,849 in 2024-25. The National Medical Commission's data does not include seats at AIIMS or JIPMER institutions, as per the media reports. 

MBBS Admission 2025: Year-wise Vacant Seats 

The year-wise number of MBBS seats remained vacant between the years 2021 to 2025 below: 

To increase quality, the Centre implemented new guidelines in the year 2023, which mandate each medical college to have a 220-bed hospital for every 50 students, as well as mandatory training in urban as well as rural areas.

The Union Minister stated that such initiatives reflect the Centre's commitment to upgrading healthcare facilities and making quality medical education more accessible throughout India.

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