Eased MBBS intake norms to continue amid doctor shortage

NEW DELHI: With doctor shortage continuing to strain healthcare services, National Medical Commission has decided to continue the temporary relaxation of MBBS intake norms for existing medical colleges for the 2026–27 academic year, allowing higher admissions to speed up the supply of doctors.For this admission cycle, 2024–25, the medical regulator has kept in abeyance the provision that effectively capped MBBS intake at 150 seats per college by linking expansion to the 100 seats per 10 lakh population norm. Eligible colleges can once again apply to increase intake beyond the earlier limit, provided they meet prescribed standards for faculty strength, infrastructure and clinical workload.An NMC official said colleges complying with these norms can safely admit students beyond 150 seats, with intake permitted up to a maximum of 250 MBBS seats.

The earlier proposal to strictly enforce the cap, the official added, had drawn representations from states warning that it could worsen doctor shortages. “This flexibility is critical if India is to achieve the target of adding 75,000 medical seats over the next five years,” the official said.Alongside continuation of relaxed intake norms, the commission has also opened the annual application window for setting up new medical colleges for 2026–27.

According to existing regulations, new institutions will continue to admit only 150 MBBS students in their first batch. Officials said the twin approach — temporary expansion in established colleges and steady addition of new institutions — aims at balancing capacity expansion with quality control. NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board has opened an online application window for both new colleges and seat expansion in existing ones.

Applications will be accepted through the NMC portal from Dec 29, 2025, to Jan 28, 2026, with submissions closing at 6pm on the final day.The regulator has stressed that quality norms will not be diluted. Only colleges fully compliant with Undergraduate Minimum Standard Requirements, 2023, and related regulations will be considered. Incomplete applications will be rejected without further correspondence.Existing medical colleges can apply for a maximum of 100 additional MBBS seats at a time, with assessments conducted strictly for the number of seats sought. Inspections — physical, virtual or hybrid — will verify faculty attendance, hospital patient load, infrastructure, financial capability and academic readiness. “Work-in-progress” applications will not be entertained.Officials said the relaxation reflects a calibrated effort to expand medical education capacity while safeguarding standards.