New medical college in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar to make way for additional 100 MBBS seats

Even as admissions for medical and dental college seats are yet to begin in the state, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved a new government medical

Even as admissions for medical and dental college seats are yet to begin in the state, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved a new government medical college (GMC) in Maharashtra. With an intake capacity of 100 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats, the Government Medical College in Nandurbar will begin admitting students from the 2020-21 academic year.

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“The permission came through this month. The total MBBS seats in the state now stand at 4,280 for the 2020-21 academic year. There has been no addition to dental (BDS) seats as yet and they stand at 2,640,” said Dr TP Lahane, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

Earlier this year, HT had reported how growing demand for MBBS seats prompted the creation of new GMCs. Earlier this year, the state government had proposed to convert 11 district hospitals into GMCs, of which Nandurbar is the first to get permission to start admissions this year.

Other GMCs have been proposed in Satara, Parbhani, Buldhana, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Amravati, Osmanabad, Palghar, Alibag and Mumbai. “We’ve chosen district hospitals that are already in good shape and can ease into teaching with least possible trouble,” said a senior official from the state education department.

Admissions to MBBS and BDS seats in the state are currently on hold based on directions of the Bombay high court. The decision on a petition filed by a student against the state’s decision to abolish the 70:30 regional quota rule is still pending, therefore, admissions in the state will not begin before November 10. However, the admissions process for seats under the all India quota (AIQ) is currently underway.

Earlier this year, NMC had also approved Symbiosis Medical College for Women in Pune, the state’s first undergraduate medical college exclusively for women. This Institute will have an intake capacity of 150 MBBS seats. Similarly, Sindhudurg Shikshan Prasarak Mandal (SSPM) Medical College & Lifetime Hospital in Padve, Sindhudurg, has been approved 150 MBBs seats as well for the 2020-21 academic year.