SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a significant increase in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats over the past three academic years, with MBBS seats rising from 1,339 in 2023-24 to 1,676 in 2025-26 and postgraduate seats increasing from 662 to 815 during the same period, the Union Government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The figures were provided by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda in a written reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1099, answered on July 24, 2026, in response to a question raised by Sasikanth Senthil on the regional availability of medical seats and doctors.
According to the reply, Jammu and Kashmir added 337 MBBS seats between the academic years 2023-24 and 2025-26, with the total increasing from 1,339 to 1,347 in 2024-25 before reaching 1,676 in 2025-26. During the same period, postgraduate seats rose from 662 to 664, and further to 815, registering a net increase of 153 seats.
Nationally, MBBS seats increased from 1,09,115 in the academic year 2023-24 to 1,28,976 in 2025-26. Postgraduate medical seats rose from 31,185 to 86,360, with the latter figure including 18,085 DNB, DrNB, FNB and Post-MBBS Diploma seats, as per data furnished by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The minister informed the House that India currently has 15,35,155 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered AYUSH practitioners. Assuming that 80 per cent of registered practitioners are available for service, the country’s estimated doctor-population ratio stands at 1:778.
To strengthen medical education and healthcare services, particularly in underserved and remote regions, the Centre said it has approved 157 new medical colleges under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for upgrading district and referral hospitals, of which 139 are already operational. The funding pattern is 90:10 for North Eastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for other States and Union Territories.
The government also stated that assistance has been provided for the addition of 4,977 MBBS seats in 83 medical colleges, 4,058 postgraduate seats in 72 colleges under Phase-I, and 4,000 postgraduate seats in 65 colleges under Phase-II of the scheme to strengthen existing government medical colleges.
Nadda further informed Parliament that the Union Cabinet approved Phase-III of the scheme in September 2025, providing for 5,000 additional postgraduate seats and 5,023 MBBS seats with an enhanced funding ceiling of Rs 1.5 crore per seat. The implementation timeline extends up to 2028-29.
The reply also noted that 22 AIIMS have been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), with 18 currently operational across the country.
To improve the availability of doctors in rural and difficult areas, the Centre said it has introduced measures including the Family Adoption Programme in the MBBS curriculum, the District Residency Programme for postgraduate students, hardship allowances for specialists serving in remote locations, flexible salary provisions under the National Health Mission, incentives for specialists and frontline health workers, preferential postgraduate admissions for doctors serving in difficult areas, and multi-skilling programmes to address specialist shortages.
