| Key Takeaways 1. About 8,000 new seats are likely this year. 2. Seat approvals were delayed due to the CBI probe but have resumed. 3. NEET UG Round 2 and PG counselling in September may reflect the new seats. 4. Quality standards will not be compromised in the name of expansion. |
NEET UG & PG will see an addition of nearly 8,000 more medical seats, according to National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairperson Dr. Abhijat Sheth.
“We expect a cumulative increase of around 8,000 seats in UG and PG medical education this academic year, subject to inspections and approvals,” Dr. Sheth said in an interview.
With over 23 lakh aspirants appearing for NEET UG 2025 and over 2.3 Lakh for NEET PG, even a few thousand additional seats can make a big difference in reducing competition.
| NEET UG Counselling Guide 2025 | |
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| MCC NEET UG Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
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Earlier Dr, Sheth also said that NMC is not going to freeze new medical colleges or MBBS seats for NEET 2025-26 session.
“Every seat matters. The expansion is aimed at addressing the huge demand-supply gap in medical education,” Dr. Sheth added.
Join NEET News 2025 Earlier this year, the seat approval process was stalled following a CBI probe into irregularities in NMC. CBI exposed medical college inspection fraud and booked 34 NMC and health ministry officials, which caused disapproval of some medical colleges and halted MBBS and PG seats.
“There was a temporary pause because of the inquiry. But with new leadership in place, inspections have restarted,” clarified Dr. Sheth.
The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) is now carrying out inspections to evaluate applications from medical colleges. The process involves checking infrastructure, faculty strength, and hospital facilities.
“Approvals will only be given to institutions that meet the Minimum Standard Requirements,” Dr. Sheth emphasised.
Currently, India has 1,18,098 MBBS seats, including 59,782 in government colleges and 58,316 in private colleges. And, there are a total of 53,960 PG medical seats in India, of which 30,029 are in government colleges and 23,931 in private colleges.
While some UG & PG seats may have reduced temporarily due to the recent CBI inquiry into irregularities, Dr. Sheth assured that the inspection process will soon result in fresh approvals, leading to a net increase in seats.
“While UG seat numbers dipped temporarily during the investigation, we are confident the overall tally will rise once inspections conclude,” said the NMC chief.
The upcoming rounds of NEET UG 2025 counselling are set to bring good news for aspirants. In NEET UG counselling, additional undergraduate seats are expected to be included from MCC Counselling Round 2 starting on August 25.
Similarly, NEET PG counselling is likely to see an increase in postgraduate seats in the September rounds, giving candidates more opportunities and choices during the admission process.
“Students should not worry, new seats will be reflected in upcoming counselling rounds,” assured Dr. Sheth.
While expansion is a priority, the NMC insists on maintaining academic standards. Dr. Sheth emphasized that while increasing seat capacity is crucial, maintaining quality standards remains equally important.
“It’s not just about numbers. Quality training and infrastructure remain at the core of our approvals,” Dr. Sheth stressed.
To that end, the NMC is strengthening its accreditation processes to ensure all medical colleges meet the required infrastructure, faculty, and clinical standards.
