In a significant move to expand medical education in Maharashtra, eight new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) have been approved for the academic year 2024-25. Each college will offer 100 seats, bringing much-needed capacity to the state’s medical education system. The central government’s Health and Family Welfare department granted the approvals, directing the National Medical Council (NMC) to issue Letters of Permission (LoPs) to the new colleges. These institutions will be located in the districts of Gadchiroli, Amravati, Washim, Jalna, Buldana, Ambernath, Bhandara, and Hingoli.
Expansion and Reactions
With the addition of these eight GMCs, Maharashtra will increase its capacity by 800 seats. This follows an earlier approval in August for 100 seats split between GMCs in Mumbai and Nashik. As a result, the total number of available medical seats in the state has risen to 4,850, providing more opportunities for aspiring doctors. The approvals were made after a second appeal from the state’s Medical Education department, submitted in September. The news of the additional 800 seats has been welcomed by medical aspirants and their families, but there are concerns about the timing. Admissions for the current academic year are already ongoing, meaning some students may miss out on the opportunity to apply for the new government seats. Parents like Brijesh Sutaria expressed relief at the availability of more seats but urged the government to ensure a fair admission process.
Initial Rejections
Earlier in the year, the Maharashtra government had applied to establish 10 new GMCs, each with a capacity of 100 students. However, only two of these applications were initially approved, while the remaining eight were denied due to deficiencies identified during inspections conducted by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB). Following an appeal, the state government provided additional documentation to support the case for the remaining eight colleges. The central government reviewed the new submissions and approved the requests, although it warned that permissions could be withdrawn if future inspections reveal deficiencies.
Infrastructure and Faculty
Maharashtra’s medical education minister, Hasan Mushrif, highlighted the importance of this expansion, noting that the state now has GMCs in 35 districts. Each new college will receive Rs 403 crore in funding to support infrastructure development. However, none of the newly approved colleges currently meet the NMC’s requirement of having 88 faculty members to support 100 students. Despite this, officials from the medical education department assured that faculty for the first-year courses is ready, and recruitment is underway to fill the remaining gaps.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra CET Cell faced a setback when a technical issue delayed the release of the second-round selection list for medical admissions, which was scheduled for Tuesday. The delay has added to the concerns of students and parents who are anxiously waiting for the results, further complicating an already challenging admission season.
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