NMC removes 150 MBBS seat limit, eases medical college rules

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed the seat limit of 150 for medical colleges, making it easier for colleges to increase student intake. This change comes into effect immediately and is part of new updates to the Undergraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023.

One of the most significant changes is the removal of the earlier restriction that limited medical colleges to a maximum intake of 150 MBBS students from the 2024–25 academic year. The commission has also scrapped the population-based cap that required states and Union Territories to maintain a ratio of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population.

In a separate amendment related to infrastructure norms, the commission revised the criteria for the distance between a medical college and its associated teaching hospital. Instead of a travel-time limit of 30 minutes, the new rule specifies a maximum distance of 10 km between the two facilities. For institutions located in North Eastern and Himalayan states, this limit has been relaxed to 15 km.

The changes are expected to provide greater flexibility to institutions looking to expand capacity, while also standardising infrastructure requirements across regions.