The Medical Council of India’s Board of Governors has approved to increase the PG medical seats for MD/MS, broad specialty by 4800 for the upcoming academic session 2020-21. With an increase the seats now count to 36,192. According to BoG chairman and the NITI Aayog member VK Paul, the number of seats increased is more than the seats created in past 5 years

VK PAUL told the media that, “In 2020-21 academic session, approximately 44000 post-graduate medical seats (36,192 MD/MS seats and 8000 DNB/FNB seats) will be available for 54000 undergraduate MBBS pass-outs”.

He also stated that, in 2014, the government had promised to double PG and UG medical seats by 2024. So, in that direction, the board of governors was endorsed with the power of the Medical Council of India has given its consent to increase postgraduate medical seats in 2020-21. 

As per the record, in 2014 there were 23000 PG medical seats in both government and private medical colleges across India. 

Mr. Paul also said that Niti Aayog has been working with the Ministry of Health to boost large hospitals to provide resident doctors Diplomate or Fellow of National Board (DNB/FNB) courses under the National Board of Examination.

Recently NITI Aayog has introduced a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to link new or existing private medical colleges with functional district hospitals to address the shortage of doctors in the country and bridging the gap in medical education. This would also have rationalized the costs of medical education.