The Centre has given a nod to as many as 157 new medical colleges in India since 2014 and has invested a total of ₹17,691.08 crore on these projects, union health ministry said on Sunday.
On completion, nearly 16,000 undergraduate medical seats would be added, it said. Of these, 6,500 seats have already been created with the functioning of 64 new medical colleges, said the government.
Under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), the Central Government has also provided about ₹2,451.1 crore for upgrading existing state government or central government medical colleges to increase MBBS seats to atleast 10,000 in the country.
"Government of India has relentlessly pursued the aim of cultivating more human resources through Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) that seek to address not only the issues of equity in medical education and but also geographic disparity in availability of medical care," the health ministry said in a statement.
Under three phases of the scheme, 157 new medical colleges have been approved, out of which 63 medical colleges are already functional. Of the 157 new colleges that are being established under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, 39 are being set up in Aspirational Districts.
The funding pattern is 90:10 by Central and State Governments respectively for North Eastern States and Special category States and 60:40 for other States with the upper ceiling cost pegged at ₹1.20 crore per seat.48 colleges in 15 states has been approved for increase of 3,325 seats with ₹6,719.11 crore released as Central Share, said the government.
