Plan could allow 4,400 Gujarat students to study medicine for ₹25,000 a year; total seats nationwide may double from 40,000 to 80,000The Centre is reportedly considering reviving a proposal to allocate 50% of seats in self-financed medical colleges (SFIs) under a subsidised government quota — a move that could significantly expand affordable medical education in India.If implemented, the number of government-rate medical seats could double from the current 40,000 to around 80,000 across the country. In Gujarat alone, nearly 4,400 students could pursue MBBS degrees for just ₹25,000 per year.
The proposal isn’t new. Back in 1999, half of the seats in SFIs were offered at government-approved fees, with 35% reserved as management seats and 15% under the NRI quota. However, this system ended in 2003 after the TMA Pai and Islamic Academy Supreme Court judgments, which granted autonomy to private and minority educational institutions while allowing limited state regulation.
At present, about 21 lakh students take the NEET exam annually, competing for just 40,000 government college seats. After reservations, fewer than 20,000 are available to general category students. Experts say building enough new government colleges to double this number would take at least a decade.
To fast-track expansion, the government is exploring a legal mechanism to mandate that 50% of seats in self-financed colleges — roughly 85,000 to 90,000 across India — be offered at government rates. Currently, 75% of SFI seats cost around ₹10 lakh each. Under the proposed model, half would be priced at ₹25,000, while the rest would remain management quota seats at around ₹20 lakh.
This structure, officials say, would not harm college revenues while allowing the government to claim credit for expanding affordable medical education. Sources indicate that the National Medical Commission (NMC) has already started working on the framework.