ANI Photo NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission has introduced a non-refundable one-time registration fee of Rs 2 lakh plus 18% GST for institutions seeking to start new MBBS colleges or increase undergraduate seats from the 2026–27 academic year. It has also cleared around 450 additional postgraduate (PG) medical seats for 2025–26 through the appeal process and removed the cap that limited MBBS seat expansion applications to 100 seats at a time.Explaining the new fee, Dr M K Ramesh, president of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, said the move is aimed at ensuring serious intent and accountability, stressing that establishing a medical college cannot be treated as a routine business decision. He said the registration fee is separate from the existing application fee of Rs 5 lakh for 50 MBBS seats, which rises with higher intake, and only partly offsets the cost of inspections, including travel and stay for three to five assessors conducting multi-day assessments. “The fee applies equally to government and private colleges, generates a unique registration number for tracking applications, and is payable again only if an institution applies in a subsequent academic year, as reapplication is not permitted within the same year,” he said. On MBBS expansion, Dr Ramesh said the earlier 100-seat cap was withdrawn because it had no explicit backing in existing regulations and could not be legally sustained. While the cap was intended to prevent sharp jumps from 50 directly to 250 seats, it was removed after being found unsupported in law. The official said new medical colleges can apply for up to 150 MBBS seats, while existing colleges with 150 seats can expand up to 250, with applications considered on an all-or-nothing basis. Inspections will be intensified for institutions seeking large, single-cycle expansions.On postgraduate admissions, he said PG seat approvals by the first appeal committee are cumulative and ongoing. While earlier notices cited 171 and later 262 additional seats, the total PG seats cleared through appeals so far is around 450, with further additions possible. The additional PG seats—mostly incremental increases of one to four seats per programme—span high-demand specialties including general medicine, radiodiagnosis, dermatology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry and general surgery, across medical colleges nationwide. According to the available list, most of these seats have gone to private medical colleges, though some government institutions are also included.The MARB has directed counselling authorities to include the newly sanctioned PG seats without waiting for individual Letters of Permission (LoPs), treating the consolidated list uploaded on the NMC website as a valid document for counselling. Officials said publishing consolidated appeal approvals online was introduced to speed up admissions and improve transparency.About the AuthorAnuja JaiswalAnuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Most Room To Grow Today’: Jaishankar Pushes Stronger EU-India Ties, Hails Partnership With FranceImran Khan’s Family Stages Prayer Protest After Being Barred From Meeting Him At Adiala JailImran Khan’s Sister Aleema, PTI Members Hold Prayers Outside Adiala Jail After Meet DeniedTharoor Flags UN Charter Violations, Voices Concern Over US Action In VenezuelaUS Issues Blunt Warning To Indian Students: Breaking Laws May Cost Visas, Careers And Future DreamsCongress-BJP Tie-Up Claims In Ambernath Create Rift, Put Mahayuti Alliance Under Fresh Strain“Worst Kind of Discrimination in PoJK”: UKPNP Chairman Flags Deepening CrisisNo Compromise On Terror: PM Modi, Benjamin Netanyahu Reaffirm India Israel Strategic PartnershipOwaisi Slams MCD Demolition, Says Turkman Gate Land Fully Belongs To WaqfNehru Catered To Liaquat Ali Khan, Ignored Somnath History: BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi123PhotostoriesHow to make high-protein Beetroot Paneer Dosa for breakfastHow to grow spinach in winterAkshay Kumar–Priyadarshan to Shahid Kapoor–Vishal Bhardwaj: Why 2026 is all about Bollywood’s trusted collaborations7 animals that build amazing homes5 Tamil romantic thrillers to binge on OTT5 signs of emotionally unavailable partnersFrom films to music, the lesser known sides of ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ director Farhan Akhtar9 mistakes to avoid while making biryani at homeWinter Special: How to make traditional Besan Ka Sheera at home5 adorable-looking animals that are surprisingly deadly123Hot PicksSenior Citizens Savings SchemeMaharashtra civic pollsGold rate todayStock Market TodayCigarette price hikePublic holidays January 2026Bank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingLebron JamesTommy Fleetwood and Clare Fleetwood Net WorthTravis KelceTaylor SwiftJimmie Johnson Net WorthEdward CabreraJamahal HillValentino Rossi and Francesca Sofia Novello Net WorthBrad Marchand Net WorthNHL Trade Rumor
NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission has introduced a non-refundable one-time registration fee of Rs 2 lakh plus 18% GST for institutions seeking to start new MBBS colleges or increase undergraduate seats from the 2026–27 academic year. It has also cleared around 450 additional postgraduate (PG) medical seats for 2025–26 through the appeal process and removed the cap that limited MBBS seat expansion applications to 100 seats at a time.Explaining the new fee, Dr M K Ramesh, president of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, said the move is aimed at ensuring serious intent and accountability, stressing that establishing a medical college cannot be treated as a routine business decision. He said the registration fee is separate from the existing application fee of Rs 5 lakh for 50 MBBS seats, which rises with higher intake, and only partly offsets the cost of inspections, including travel and stay for three to five assessors conducting multi-day assessments. “The fee applies equally to government and private colleges, generates a unique registration number for tracking applications, and is payable again only if an institution applies in a subsequent academic year, as reapplication is not permitted within the same year,” he said. On MBBS expansion, Dr Ramesh said the earlier 100-seat cap was withdrawn because it had no explicit backing in existing regulations and could not be legally sustained. While the cap was intended to prevent sharp jumps from 50 directly to 250 seats, it was removed after being found unsupported in law. The official said new medical colleges can apply for up to 150 MBBS seats, while existing colleges with 150 seats can expand up to 250, with applications considered on an all-or-nothing basis. Inspections will be intensified for institutions seeking large, single-cycle expansions.On postgraduate admissions, he said PG seat approvals by the first appeal committee are cumulative and ongoing. While earlier notices cited 171 and later 262 additional seats, the total PG seats cleared through appeals so far is around 450, with further additions possible. The additional PG seats—mostly incremental increases of one to four seats per programme—span high-demand specialties including general medicine, radiodiagnosis, dermatology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry and general surgery, across medical colleges nationwide. According to the available list, most of these seats have gone to private medical colleges, though some government institutions are also included.The MARB has directed counselling authorities to include the newly sanctioned PG seats without waiting for individual Letters of Permission (LoPs), treating the consolidated list uploaded on the NMC website as a valid document for counselling. Officials said publishing consolidated appeal approvals online was introduced to speed up admissions and improve transparency.
