NMC MBBS Seat Cap:The National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced key amendments to the regulations governing the establishment of new medical institutions, the launch of new courses, expansion of seat capacity in existing programmes, and assessment norms.
Under the revised rules, the earlier cap restricting medical colleges from increasing MBBS intake beyond 150 seats, implemented from the 2024-25 academic year has been removed. This change allows institutions greater flexibility to expand their undergraduate medical capacity.
In another significant move, the provision mandating a ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population in a state or Union Territory has also been scrapped. The removal of this requirement is expected to enable states to increase the number of MBBS seats based on their own needs and infrastructure.
Key Changes Introduced
MBBS seat cap removed:The earlier limit of 150 MBBS seats per college (from 2024-25) has been scrapped.
Population-based quota dropped: The rule mandating 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population in a state/UT has been deleted.
College-hospital distance revised:
- Earlier:Maximum 30-minute travel time
- Now: Maximum 10 km distance
- Exception: 15 km allowed for North Eastern and Himalayan states
Wider flexibility for colleges: Institutions can now expand intake based on capacity rather than fixed caps.
The NMC has additionally revised norms related to the distance between medical colleges and their associated hospitals. The previous rule, which required a maximum travel time of 30 minutes between the two facilities, has been replaced. The updated guideline now specifies that the distance should not exceed 10 km. For states in the North Eastern and Himalayan regions, this limit has been relaxed to 15 km.
The amendments have been notified in the Extraordinary Gazette of India, under the provisions of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. These changes apply to the Undergraduate Medical Education Board’s guidelines under UG-MSR 2023 and Regulation 19 of the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which were originally notified on August 16, 2023.
