Hyderabad: Telangana’s latest expansion of MBBS seats has been driven largely by the private sector. Of the 1,010 additional seats approved in the state for 2026-27, private medical colleges account for 900. Govt colleges, in comparison, have added only 110 seats, according to the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) seat matrix data released recently.The latest matrix takes Telangana’s total MBBS capacity to 10,450 seats across 66 medical colleges. Of these, 4,400 seats are in govt colleges and 6,050 in private institutions. The state now accounts for about 7.5% of the 1,40,214 MBBS seats available nationally, excluding institutes of national importance.The expansion also places Telangana among the states with the highest MBBS capacity. Karnataka leads with 15,745 seats across 76 colleges. Uttar Pradesh follows with 14,400 seats in 92 colleges, followed by Tamil Nadu with 14,299 seats in 78 colleges and Maharashtra with 13,249 seats in 87 colleges. Telangana ranks fifth with 10,450 seats.The latest matrix also includes a new private medical college, Raja Rajeshwari Institute of Medical Sciences-Girls, with an approved intake of 150 MBBS seats. Several existing private colleges have received increases of 50 to 100 seats each. Four govt medical colleges in Mahabubnagar, Nizamabad, Siddipet and Adilabad have together received 110 additional seats.This expansion takes Telangana past the 10,000-seat mark for the first time. Its MBBS capacity has risen steadily from 8,415 seats in 2023-24 to 8,965 in 2024-25, 9,440 in 2025-26 and 10,450 in 2026-27.However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said the focus should now shift to the quality of medical education rather than simply increasing the number of colleges.“The issue is not the number of medical colleges. There is a lack of quality medical education and faculty, and the increase in private colleges also raises concerns about affordability for students,” said Dr Sanjeev Yadav, vice-president of IMA Telangana and former honorary secretary of the IMA Academy of Medical Specialists headquarters.
Source link
