Maharashtra gets 8 new medical colleges, 800 seats added

Maharashtra is set to get eight new medical colleges with 100 seats each for 2024-25, increasing the total number of government medical college seats in the state to 4,850 across 35 districts.

In Short

• Maharashtra gets 8 new government medical colleges with 100 seats each
• New approvals bring the total number of GMC seats in Maharashtra to 4,850
• Medical aspirants welcome more seats but worry about missing this year’s chance

Maharashtra is set to get eight new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) with a capacity of 100 seats each for the academic year 2024-25. The Central Government’s Health and Family Welfare Department issued orders approving these seats in response to the state’s appeal.

The new GMCs will be set up in Gadchiroli, Amravati, Washim, Jalna, Buldana, Ambernath, Bhandara, and Hingoli districts. This development comes after a second appeal by the state’s Medical Education Department.

With 100 seats per college, the total number of additional seats now stands at 800, significantly increasing the opportunities for aspiring medical students.

A RELIEF FOR MEDICAL ASPIRANTS

Earlier in August, only two out of the ten proposed GMCs—one each in Mumbai and Nashik—were approved, resulting in a combined 100 seats. This left a gap that has now been addressed by the central government’s approval of the remaining eight colleges.

“The documents and submissions made by the appellant have been considered by the Central Government,” read the orders issued on September 30. The orders further noted that if inspections at any stage find deficiencies in faculty or infrastructure, permissions could still be revoked.

The addition of 800 seats has taken the total number of seats in government medical colleges in Maharashtra to 4,850, spread across 35 districts. This expansion comes at a time when many students are opting to study abroad due to the lack of seats within the state.

CHALLENGES AND ONGOING RECRUITMENT

Despite the approval, none of the 10 colleges, including the two earlier approved, currently meet the faculty requirement of 88 teaching staff per 100 students. However, an official from the medical education department assured that recruitment is ongoing, and the colleges are equipped to support first-year students.

Medical aspirants and parents have welcomed the decision, but there’s concern that many students might miss out on these seats as admissions for this year are already in progress.

Meanwhile, due to a technical error, the Maharashtra CET Cell has delayed the release of the second-round selection list for ongoing medical admissions.

The statement from Maharashtra’s Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif also highlighted that each of the 10 GMCs will receive Rs 403 crore for infrastructure development.

“Now Maharashtra has GMCs in 35 districts offering 4,850 seats,” he said, stressing that this will help provide more options for medical education within the state itself.