The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reported significant expansion of medical education infrastructure in India since 2014, with substantial increases in medical colleges and seats across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The number of medical colleges has increased by 118.6% from 387 before 2014 to 846 currently, while MBBS seats have grown by 172.4% from 51,348 to 139,864 seats. Postgraduate medical seats have shown the highest growth at 176.9%, increasing from 31,185 to 86,360 seats.
This expansion has been achieved through multiple centrally sponsored schemes including the establishment of 157 new medical colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals. For strengthening existing medical colleges, the government has provided support for 4,977 MBBS seats in 83 colleges with an approved cost of ₹5,972.20 crore, 4,058 PG seats in Phase-I across 72 colleges costing ₹1,498.43 crore, and 4,000 PG seats in Phase-II in 65 colleges with ₹4,478.25 crore approval.
The Cabinet has approved Phase-III of the scheme for strengthening existing medical colleges to facilitate an additional 5,000 PG seats with enhanced cost ceiling of ₹1.5 crore per seat, along with extension of the UG scheme for 5,023 MBBS seats at the same cost ceiling. The implementation timeline for both schemes is set for 2028-2029.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 75 projects for Super Specialty Blocks have been approved with 71 projects completed. Additionally, the Central Sector Scheme for new AIIMS has resulted in approval of 22 AIIMS institutions, with undergraduate courses already started in 19 of these. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Smt. Anupriya Patel provided these details in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on August 7, 2026.