NEET PG: 4,800 more PG Medical seats to be added in 2020-21 Academic Session

Officials from the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India have approved to increase the medical seats for the Postgraduate medical courses (MD/ MS). As per reports, the number of seats will be increased by more than 4,800 in the next academic session. Niti Aayog member and  Board of Governors Chairman, V K Paul have stated that the increase in the seats is more than the total number of additional seats that were created in the last five years. 

The Board of Governors which has the power over the Medical Council of India has provided its approval to increase the number of postgraduate medical seats in the 2020-21 academic session by 4,807 seats. Mr. VK Paul said that as a result of this the new academic session counselling 36,192 PG medical seats for MD, MS, board specialty will now be available to the students. He also added that the capacity expansion will improve the tertiary care sector in the country.

He also added that in the 2020-21 academic session close to 44,000 postgraduate medical seats which include 36,192 MD/MS seats and 8000 DNB.FNB seats will be available for the 54,000 undergraduate MBBS students passing out. 

Over 23,000 PG Medical seats were available in 2014-15 in both government and private medical colleges across the country. 

He also said that the Niti Aayog is working along with the Ministry of Health in order to encourage a large number of hospitals to offer resident doctors a Diplomate or Fellow of National Board courses under the National Board of Examination. 

In order to handle the shortage of qualified doctors and to reduce the gap in medical education, the Niti Aayog had recently introduced the Public-Private partnership model linking new or existing private medical colleges with the functional District Hospital to expand the medical seats. 

Niti Aayog in its draft ‘Model Concession Agreement for Setting up Medical Colleges Under the Public-Private Partnership’ guideline document has stated that a scheme to link the new and existing private medical colleges with the functional district hospitals via the  Public-Private partnership model will help in increasing the medical seats and also rationalizing the costs of medical education in the country.

Every Postgraduate medical student under this new district residency programme which is planned will have to serve at a district hospital for three months to receive their degrees.

Also Read: IGNOU extends Application Deadline for June Term End Exam, Register until 30th April at ignou.ac.in