NMC approves increase 450 medical seats in Karnataka medical colleges

In a boost to aspirants, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has finally approved the enhancement of 450 medical seats (MBBS) in colleges in Karnataka for the academic year 2025-26.

Out of this, it has given approval to increase 400 medical seats in eight government medical colleges and the remaining 50 seats in Jagadguru Gangadhar Mahaswamigalu Moorusavirmath Medical College (JGMMMC), Hubballi.

With this, a total of 12,644 medical seats will be available in the State for 2025-26. As many as 12,395 seats were available in 2024-25.

Speaking to The Hindu, Prasanna H., Executive Director of Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), said, “The seat matrix sanctioning 450 additional medical seats has come from the Union Ministry. After the Directorate of Medical Education submits the final seat matrix after dividing the national quota and State quota seats available in the State, these seats will be considered for the second round of NEET-2025 counselling and allocated to the students.”

For 2025-26, the State government had submitted a proposal to the NMC for an enhancement of 850 medical seats, including an increase of 50 medical seats each in 13 government medical colleges and an increase of 100 medical seats each in two government medical colleges.

In addition, a request was also submitted to sanction 250 seats for two new government medical colleges to be established in Ramanagara and Kanakapura of Bengaluru South district.

Meanwhile, deemed university colleges like JGMMMC of Hubballi and Sri Siddhartha Medical College of Tumakuru had also submitted a request to the NMC for an increase of 50 seats each.

Earlier, due to lack of infrastructure, shortage of faculties and other reasons, the NMC did not grant permission for enhancement of seats to any medical college in the State this year, and rejected the State’s proposal of medical seats enhancement in May.

However, recently, Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth, new Chairman of NMC, had announced that a total of 8,000 medical seats would be enhanced in medical colleges across the country. Accordingly, of the 15 government medical colleges for which the government had submitted a proposal for seat enhancement, only eight colleges have been granted an increase of 50 seats each.

The remaining seven government medical colleges have not been granted any seat enhancement. In addition, seats have not been sanctioned for the new government medical colleges proposed to be started in Ramanagara and Kanakapura.

Among the deemed university colleges, only 50 seats enhancement has been approved for JGMMMC. However, the NMC has rejected the seat enhancement request submitted by Sri Siddhartha Medical College.

There are 71 medical colleges in the State, and in the wake of the bribery case, the NMC had not renewed 200 medical seats for Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) of KLE Society, Belagavi, and it reduced one seat in Chitradurga government medical college during the first round of NEET-2025 counselling. Due to this, only 12,194 seats were available for the State from a total of 70 medical colleges for the first round of the counselling.