MBBS seats go vacant despite 39 pc increase; 'high fees, flawed counselling the culprit'

In a staggering revelation by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in the Lok Sabha this month, it has been noted that more than 2,840 undergraduate medical seats have remained vacant in the country in 2024 despite a 39 per cent rise in the number of MBBS seats between 2020-21 and 2024-25. The vacancies have persisted despite several states demanding an increase in the seats.

The seats were increased from 83,275 to 1,15,900 in the said time period.

Coveted, but vacant

Experts feel the main reason for such a high number of empty seats is exorbitant fees in private colleges that deter even qualified candidates. Besides, a lack of adequate infrastructure in new colleges, including accreditation or absence of experienced faculty in some institutions, and accessibility issues have contributed to the problem.

Also read: 2,849 MBBS seats remained vacant in 2024 despite increase in slots: Govt data

Medical practitioners have pointed to the lack of reforms in NEET counselling. The process is plagued by various problems, such as delays and poor communication. While many candidates lock seats early out of fear, others withdraw at the last moment, resulting in avoidable vacancies.

They have also alleged that many private colleges do not disclose details promptly, including information about fees, facilities, or service bonds. The lack of reliable data pushes students to opt out instead of taking a risk.

Systemic, structural barriers

Indranil Deshmukh, general secretary, Indian Medical Association (IMA) Junior Doctor's Network, said many states enforce rural service bonds ranging from five to 10 years without clarity on stipends, working conditions, or placement policies, further discouraging students from taking up those seats.

Also read: 'Regressive, harmful': Medical fraternity slams move to merge Ayurveda with MBBS course

“A significant number of new colleges have come up in remote or underdeveloped regions, where students are reluctant to relocate. Additionally, regional language barriers restrict inter-state mobility,” he told The Federal.

"The lack of affordable education, coupled with the absence of effective loan schemes or scholarships, particularly affects middle-income families who often fall through the cracks between eligibility and affordability,” he added

“As the voice of India’s young doctors, we believe the issue is not simply about expanding seat numbers, but addressing the systemic and structural barriers that prevent deserving students from pursuing medical education,” the IMA official said.

Rural colleges offer few perks

Doctors have also pointed out that many new or rural colleges suffer from low patient inflow and offer little opportunity for hands-on learning.

This raises doubts about the quality of education, prompting many aspirants to skip current offers and prepare for the next year.

Also read: FIR against 15 seniors after death of MBBS student due to ragging in Gujarat

“We commend the Ministry of Education and the National Medical Commission for their ongoing efforts to expand medical education in India, but now is the time to focus on making every seat meaningful, accessible, and future-ready,” Deshmukh said.

“The current scenario calls for urgent policy reforms, including greater transparency in admissions, better financial aid mechanisms, strategic location of colleges, and ensuring quality infrastructure and clinical exposure in every institution,” he added.

Exorbitant fees

The fee structure is also linked to the vacant seats in medical colleges across the country. The ineffective methods of counselling and the improper mode of selection are also responsible for vacancies in medical courses.

Experts say the government also needs to clarify if medical seats are going vacant in public medical colleges, as thousands of students appear for the NEET examination, hoping to bag a medical seat.

Dr R V Asokan, president of the Indian Medical Association, told The Federal that several colleges are not preferred due to their high fee structure.

Also read: Bengaluru: Chess player awarded Rs 10 lakh compensation for wrongly being denied MBBS seat

Gaps in counselling

According to the experts, inefficiency prevails in handling counselling based on the number of available seats.

“The breakup of the vacancies is also important, and we need to see if the government seats are also going vacant. The complete counselling system has to be dedicated to the states for NEET UG so that the native students can utilise the seats available in that state,” Dr Asokan added.

States such as Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have added the most number of seats in the last five years. Tamil Nadu has more than 11,000 MBBS seats, but a fee hike is expected to result in a larger number of medical seats going vacant after multiple rounds of counselling.

Watch | Are Class 12 scores good enough for MBBS admission? Educationist explains

'TN may see more vacancies'

With Tamil Nadu increasing the MBBS fees for 2025 under the management quota in self-financing colleges by Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per year, and the fee for NRIs by Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 27 lakh this year, medical education experts fear that the unaffordability factor will lead to more seats going vacant.

“The lack of infrastructure and quality medical education, even as the fees of these private medical institutions keep increasing, would discourage a lot of individuals from taking medical admissions in the state. The scenario is the same in other larger states as well, where medical colleges in rural and underdeveloped areas are not preferred by the candidates," said Dr G R Rabindranath, general secretary of the Doctors Association for Social Equality.