NEET PG 2026: Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda has said that India currently has 86,360 postgraduate medical seats across the country for the 2026-27 academic year. He shared the details in response to a starred question raised by MP Km Sudha R in the Lok Sabha regarding the expansion of postgraduate medical education.
The total includes postgraduate medical seats approved by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). Karnataka has the highest number of postgraduate medical seats, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
State-Wise Highest Postgraduate Medical Seats
- Karnataka: 10,092 seats, including 2,805 government and 7,287 private seats.
- Maharashtra: 9,216 seats, with 4,277 government and 4,939 private seats.
- Tamil Nadu: 8,023 seats, including 3,030 government and 4,993 private seats.
- Uttar Pradesh: 7,437 seats, comprising 3,568 government and 3,869 private seats.
- Telangana: 5,248 seats.
- Andhra Pradesh: 4,782 seats.
Centre Plans 5,000 Additional Postgraduate Seats
The Centre has approved Phase III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme to strengthen existing state and central government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes and government hospitals. Under the scheme, 5,000 additional postgraduate medical seats are targeted between 2025-26 and 2028-29. The cost ceiling has also been increased to Rs 1.50 crore per postgraduate seat.
The government said the NMC has established a regulatory framework under the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 and Post Graduate Minimum Standards Requirement, 2024. Medical institutions seeking new courses or additional seats must meet requirements related to faculty, infrastructure and clinical facilities.
The Centre also clarified that NBEMS has no current proposal to convert all Diploma seats into DNB seats. Fees for medical courses are decided by states and Union Territories. For NBEMS programmes, including DNB, DrNB, FNB and Diploma courses, the annual fee is Rs 1.25 lakh.