New Medical Colleges Approved

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has granted approval for two additional medical colleges in Maharashtra. A state-run government medical college in Nashik and a private institution in Aurangabad have each been allocated 50 MBBS seats for the academic year 2024-25. Although both institutions had requested a capacity of 100 seats each, the NMC’s decision fell short of their expectations.

Appeal and Shortfall

The approval of these colleges comes after the Maharashtra state government appealed to the NMC, following a previous announcement in July. At that time, the NMC had only partially approved two government colleges in Maharashtra, adding a mere 100 seats. This was well below the state government’s target of increasing medical seats by 800 for the upcoming academic year. The limited number of new seats has raised concerns among parents and admission advisors, especially given the high cut-offs from this year’s NEET results. The anticipated expansion in seat numbers was expected to ease these cut-offs, but the current approvals are unlikely to significantly impact the situation.

Additional Approvals and Infrastructure Developments

Out of 14 applications submitted by the state for new medical colleges, only four have received approval so far—two government colleges in July and two more now, including the recent additions. The Maharashtra government is also pursuing approval for an additional government medical college in Ambernath. To meet NMC standards, the government plans to rent a building for the college, which will feature a 430-bed hospital. The initial proposal was rejected in July due to insufficient infrastructure. In response, the government has allocated ₹1,25,76,480 to rent 10 buildings near Badlapur for use as hostels and quarters for doctors and staff.

The ongoing efforts reflect the state's commitment to expanding medical education facilities despite the challenges in meeting the desired increase in medical seat availability.