In a significant move to regulate medical education expansion, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced a substantial one-time registration fee for institutions planning to establish new medical colleges or increase their undergraduate capacity. This development coincides with the approval of hundreds of new postgraduate seats for the upcoming academic year.
New Registration Fee for Medical Colleges
Starting from the 2026–27 academic year, any institution seeking to open a new MBBS college or raise its undergraduate seat count must pay a non-refundable one-time registration fee of Rs 2 lakh, plus 18% GST. Dr. M K Ramesh, President of the NMC's Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), clarified that this fee is designed to ensure serious intent and accountability from applicants.
Establishing a medical college cannot be treated as a routine business decision, Dr. Ramesh emphasized. The new registration fee is separate from the existing application fee, which is Rs 5 lakh for 50 MBBS seats and increases with higher intake. According to officials, the registration fee only partially covers the costs of rigorous inspections, which involve travel and accommodation for three to five assessors conducting multi-day evaluations.
The policy applies uniformly to both government and private colleges. Payment generates a unique registration number for tracking applications and is payable again only if an institution applies in a subsequent academic year, as reapplication within the same year is not permitted.
Removing Caps and Defining Expansion Limits
In another major policy shift, the NMC has removed the earlier cap that limited MBBS seat expansion applications to 100 seats at a time. Dr. Ramesh stated this cap was withdrawn because it lacked explicit backing in existing regulations and could not be legally sustained. While initially intended to prevent sudden jumps from 50 to 250 seats, its removal paves the way for more streamlined applications.
Under the new framework:
- New medical colleges can apply for up to 150 MBBS seats.
- Existing colleges with 150 seats can expand to a maximum of 250 seats.
- Applications will be considered on an all-or-nothing basis, and institutions seeking large, single-cycle expansions will face intensified inspections.
Boost for Postgraduate Medical Education
In a positive development for aspiring specialists, the commission has cleared approximately 450 additional postgraduate (PG) medical seats for the 2025–26 academic year through the appeal process. Dr. Ramesh explained that PG seat approvals by the first appeal committee are cumulative and ongoing. While earlier notices cited 171 and later 262 additional seats, the total now stands around 450, with further additions possible.
These new PG seats, mostly incremental increases of one to four seats per program, span high-demand specialties including:
- General Medicine
- Radiodiagnosis
- Dermatology
- Paediatrics
- Orthopaedics
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Psychiatry
- General Surgery
The seats are allocated across medical colleges nationwide, with a majority going to private institutions, though some government colleges are also included.
To expedite the admission process, the MARB has directed counselling authorities to include these newly sanctioned PG seats immediately. They can use the consolidated list uploaded on the NMC website as a valid document for counselling, without waiting for individual Letters of Permission (LoPs). Officials stated this online publication of appeal approvals aims to speed up admissions and enhance transparency in the system.
These combined measures signal the NMC's intent to streamline medical college approvals while ensuring quality and accountability, simultaneously addressing the critical need for more doctors and specialists in the country's healthcare landscape.
