Question : MEDICAL SEATS

(a) the proposals received by the Medical Council of India (MCI) to increase the number of undergraduate and postgraduate seats in the medical colleges and the permission granted for the same during the last year and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(b) whether MCI has recently scrapped a number of seats in the medical colleges across the country and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, State/UTwise;

(c) whether the Government/MCI has received any representation/request in this regard;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government/MCI thereto; and

(e) the measures being taken by the Government to increase the number of medical seats in the country?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a) to (d): Statements I and II containing the number of proposals pertaining to the academic year 2014-15 in respect of increase of under graduate and post graduate seats are enclosed. The process of granting permissions in respect of increase of under graduate and post graduate seats for the academic year 2015-16 is still on. Proposals for increase of 475 PG seats have been approved by the Government.

(e): With a view to upgrade and further strengthen medical education institutions in the country with a view to increase the availability of seats in medical colleges, the Government administers the following schemes:-

I. “Strengthening and up-gradation of State Government Medical Colleges for starting new Post Graduate (PG) disciplines and increasing PG seats” with fund sharing between the Central and State Government in the ratio of 75:25 under the scheme. Funds are provided to the Government Medical Colleges for infrastructure development, faculty and equipment.

II. “Establishment of New Medical Colleges attached with District/ Referral hospitals” with fund sharing between the Central Government and States in the ratio of 90:10 for NE/ special category states and 75:25 for other states.

III. “Up-gradation of existing State Government/Central Government medical colleges to increase MBBS seats in the country” with fund sharing between the Central Government and States in the ratio of 90:10 for NE/special category states and 70:30 for other states.

Further, a number of norms for setting up of medical colleges have been relaxed including for hilly, remote and tribal areas, which inter alia include reducing the area of land requirement to set up a medical college, allowing setting up of medical college in two separate pieces of land, rationalistic infrastructure requirements allowing companies to establish medical colleges etc.