- 75,000 More Medical Seats Planned in Five Years as India Expands Healthcare Horizon
NEW DELHI, October 25: Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda on Saturday highlighted the remarkable transformation in India’s medical education landscape, revealing that the number of medical colleges in the country has more than doubled in the past eleven years—from 387 in 2014 to 819 in 2025.
Speaking at the 50th Annual Convocation Ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, Nadda said this unprecedented expansion reflects the government’s sustained commitment to making quality medical education more accessible to students across the nation.
He informed that the number of undergraduate (MBBS) seats has surged from 51,000 to 1.29 lakh, while postgraduate (PG) seats have risen from 31,000 to 78,000 during the same period. “In the next five years, we expect to add another 75,000 seats across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” he said, calling this growth “a transformative step toward building a self-reliant healthcare system.”
The minister congratulated the graduating students of AIIMS and commended the institute’s outstanding contribution to medical research, innovation, and patient care. “AIIMS continues to set global benchmarks in academic excellence, clinical practice, and public health leadership,” he noted, urging young doctors to serve society with empathy and integrity.
Emphasizing India’s progress in healthcare outcomes, Nadda cited the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) data, pointing out that the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has fallen from 130 to 88, while the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has dropped from 39 to 27 in recent years. “These achievements reflect not just policy success but the tireless work of thousands of health professionals at every level,” he said.
He added that the Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) and the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) have shown significant reductions of 42 percent and 39 percent, respectively—both outperforming global averages.
Referring to the fight against tuberculosis (TB), the health minister said India’s progress has been exceptional, with the incidence of TB declining by 17.7 percent, more than double the global rate of 8.3 percent, according to The Lancet Report.
“These numbers reflect India’s unwavering commitment to public health reform and our collective success in expanding both infrastructure and human resources,” Nadda said. He also underlined that the government’s focus now includes strengthening tertiary care facilities, promoting digital health innovations, and ensuring equitable access to affordable healthcare in rural and remote regions.
In his address to the graduating doctors, the minister urged them to become “compassionate healers, lifelong learners, and pioneers of innovation.” He said, “Medicine is not merely a profession but a sacred responsibility. The future of India’s healthcare depends on your commitment to empathy, ethics, and excellence.”
Nadda concluded by encouraging the new graduates to contribute to research and global health collaboration while upholding the values that define the AIIMS legacy. “You represent the face of modern India, equipped with knowledge, guided by compassion, and driven by purpose,” he said.