Government allows medical colleges in states, UT capitals to be built as high-rises

The Medical Council of India has made amendments to the Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999, lowering the minimum land requirement for construction of medical colleges in all state and UT capitals.

Taking into account the increasing shortage of land in urban areas, the Union health ministry has allowed medical colleges in state capitals to be built as high-rises, provided it complies with local regulations.

In 2012, the MCI had relaxed the norms for urban cities with a population of 25 lakh or more.(PTI File Photo)

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has made amendments to the Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999, lowering the minimum land requirement for construction of medical colleges in all state and UT capitals. The total built-up area requirement has been brought down to 10 acres from 20 acres.

In 2012, the MCI had relaxed the norms for urban cities with a population of 25 lakh or more.

The 12 cities in the category were Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat, Greater Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai. “Norms have also now been relaxed for capitals where land is an issue. As population is growing, there is scarcity of land, along with the need for more medical colleges. We have to look for effective solutions,” said Dr Reena Nayyar, secretary, MCI.

The minimum requirement for building a medical college in the select cities is the Floor Area Ratio/Floor Space Index. It is the ratio of the total area of a building to the area of the plot on which it is built. The MCI had notified the amended regulations on July 3.

A health ministry official said, “Last year, we made only FAR the requirement for building a medical college. These colleges can expand vertically, provided they follow local regulations.”