DELHI: In a significant boost to healthcare education, Jammu and Kashmir has added four new medical colleges and 354 MBBS seats over the past five years, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 4, 2025.
Responding to a question on the shortage of doctors and the progress of medical education in India, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that Jammu and Kashmir had 8 medical colleges with 985 MBBS seats in 2019–20. By 2023–24, the number had grown to 12 colleges with a total of 1,339 MBBS seats—an increase of over 35 per cent in seat capacity.
The expansion comes at a time when the per capita availability of doctors in the country is below the World Health Organization’s recommended standard. The current estimated doctor-to-population ratio in India stands at 1:811, when considering both allopathic and AYUSH practitioners.
The Ministry also reiterated that the National Medical Commission has framed guidelines for regulating fees for 50 per cent of seats in private medical colleges to make education more affordable. Government medical education continues to be heavily subsidised.
While the Ministry defended the current NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) system as a uniform admission process for medical education, it acknowledged ongoing concerns about the need to support economically weaker students and increase access to affordable training across regions.
The substantial increase in MBBS seats in Jammu and Kashmir places the Union Territory ahead of several larger states in relative growth over the past half-decade. Health officials say this is part of a broader national push to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and address the doctor shortage across rural and underserved areas.
