In some cheerful news for medical aspirants this year, the Indian government has approved an additional 4,465 seats in medical colleges. This addition of these seats takes the total number of MBBS seats to nearly 79,000.
According to the New Indian Express, the new additions are a result of up to a 25 percent increase in MBBS seats in nearly 120 government medical colleges in 17 states to accommodate 10 percent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students, as per the government’s new policy. The rise in seats is due to the implementation of reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in admission for medical colleges this year.
The Centre has told states to send the revised number of seats by June 28. “We are expecting a rise of nearly 500 seats, as 6 states are likely to send the revised lists in a few days,” a senior official told the New Indian Express. The increase of seats to facilitate the EWS quota is in the range of 10-50 in most medical colleges and the largest beneficiary would be Maharashtra, where 900-plus seats have been created.
