India to Add 75,000 Medical Seats, Modi Declares

On August 15th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled an ambitious plan to add 75,000 additional medical seats across India over the next five years. This project is part of a more significant attempt to address the long-standing issue of students, particularly those from middle-class households, pursuing expensive medical education overseas owing to a lack of options at home.

During his address, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the substantial advancements in expanding medical education over the past decade. He added that the number of medical seats in the country has nearly doubled, from 51,348 in 2014 to 1,07,948 in 2023, a significant rise of 110%. Additionally, medical colleges have increased by 82%, from 387 in 2014 to 704 in 2023.

In addition to underlining the government's commitment to enhancing healthcare facilities and nutrition nationwide, Modi stressed the significance of creating a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) that is also a "Swasth Bharat" (Healthy India). The development of medical education is a critical component of this agenda, seeking to fulfil the rising need for healthcare professionals while reducing the need for students to study overseas. 

"Even today, children, mostly from middle-class backgrounds, are going abroad for medical education, spending lakhs and crores on their studies. Every year, around 25,000 young people move to other nations for medical education. Some students choose countries that cause me great concern. Therefore, we have decided to create 75,000 new seats in medical colleges across India over the next five years," Prime Minister Modi stated.

He also emphasised the government's efforts over the last decade to raise the number of medical seats to around 1 lakh, reaffirming the commitment to ensure that a prosperous India is also healthy.