The National Medical Commission (NMC) has revised its policy for approving new medical colleges and expanding undergraduate medical seats, removing key restrictions on intake and location.

Under the updated norms, the earlier cap limiting MBBS intake to 150 seats per institution has been withdrawn. Colleges with adequate infrastructure and faculty can now apply for higher capacities, including 200 or 250 seats, subject to approval.

The commission has also scrapped the population-based requirement that allowed a 100-seat medical college only in regions with at least 10 lakh residents. Institutions can now establish colleges irrespective of population size, enabling states to expand medical education based on infrastructure and demand.

Changes have also been made to the criteria governing the distance between medical colleges and their associated hospitals. The earlier requirement of a maximum travel time of 30 minutes has been replaced with a distance limit of 10 km, with a relaxation up to 15 km for hilly and north-eastern regions.

According to officials, approvals will now depend on institutional capacity rather than population ratios. However, uncertainty remains for more than 100 applications submitted under the previous guidelines, as the NMC has not clarified whether they will be assessed under the old or revised norms.

Inputs from TOI

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