National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced an expansion of 5,950 MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic session. This increase comes from the establishment of new medical colleges and the renewal of seats in pre-existing ones. Out of the total, government colleges added 2,322 seats, while private colleges contributed 3,628 seats.
With this development, India now has 1,23,700 MBBS seats, divided between 62,807 government seats and 60,893 private seats. While government colleges still hold a small numerical edge, the growth rate of private institutions is significantly higher.
Total MBBS Seats in India: 2024 vs 2025
The table below shows the overall growth of MBBS seats in India, highlighting the faster rise in private seats compared to government ones.
Private colleges accounted for 61% of the total seat growth, showing stronger momentum compared to government colleges, which contributed 39%.
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New Medical Colleges Approved in 2025
NMC also cleared the establishment of 33 new MBBS colleges across India for the 2025-26 session. The numbers show that while more government colleges were sanctioned, private colleges collectively offered more seats.
This means government colleges expanded more in terms of new institutions, but private colleges were ahead in terms of seat capacity.
State-Wise Increase in Government MBBS Seats
Government medical colleges across several states saw a noticeable increase in seats. The biggest contributors were Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Overall, government MBBS seats rose by 2,322, taking the total to 62,807. This represents a 3.84% increase from last year.
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State-Wise Increase in Private MBBS Seats
Private medical colleges saw an even bigger expansion, especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. Bihar and Kerala also reported large jumps in seat numbers.
Despite this overall increase, some states actually saw a drop in private seats, including Delhi (-150), Telangana (-150), Andhra Pradesh (-50), Gujarat (-50), and Meghalaya (-50).
Key Observations from MBBS Seat Growth
- Government vs Private balance: Government colleges still hold the majority with 50.8% of total seats, while private colleges are close behind with 49.2%.
- Faster private expansion: Of the 5,950 new seats, 3,628 came from private colleges, showing they are expanding almost twice as fast as government institutions.
- Regional variations: Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh led private seat growth, while Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir were leaders among government colleges.
- Unequal access: Eight regions still have no private MBBS colleges — Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Goa, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
Conclusion
The approval of nearly 6,000 new MBBS seats in 2025-26 reflects India’s ongoing push to strengthen its medical education system. While government colleges continue to provide the majority of MBBS seats, private institutions are expanding at a significantly faster rate. This trend underlines the increasing role of private colleges in shaping India’s healthcare workforce. However, the uneven distribution of seats and the decline in some regions highlight the need for balanced, region-specific policies to ensure that students across the country get equitable access to medical education.
