NEET PG Seats 2026: India Has 86,360 Medical Seats, Karnataka Leads With 10,092

1. Total NEET PG Medical Seats in India for 2026

India currently offers a total of 86,360 postgraduate medical seats across the nation for the 2026-27 academic session. Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda shared these details while responding to a starred question raised by MP Km Sudha R in the Lok Sabha regarding the expansion of postgraduate medical education.

The total seat tally includes postgraduate medical seats approved by both the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). This figure represents a major expansion in medical seat capacity aimed at improving doctor-patient ratios and strengthening specialist medical services across Indian states.

2. State-Wise Distribution: Karnataka Leads India

Karnataka holds the highest number of postgraduate medical seats in India with 10,092 seats. The state continues to lead the country in medical education infrastructure, offering the maximum number of NMC and NBEMS seat options for medical graduates.

To ensure uniform educational quality across all medical institutions, the NMC has established a comprehensive regulatory framework. This framework operates under the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023 and the Post Graduate Minimum Standards Requirement, 2024. These rules apply strictly to any medical college or hospital seeking to establish new postgraduate courses or increase intake in existing streams.

Medical colleges and institutions seeking to start new postgraduate courses or expand existing seat intake must meet mandatory standards regarding faculty strength, hospital infrastructure, bed capacity, and clinical facilities.

3. Centre's Plan to Add 5,000 More PG Seats by 2028-29

The Central Government has targeted the creation of 5,000 additional postgraduate medical seats between 2025-26 and 2028-29. This effort is being conducted under Phase III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, which focuses on strengthening and upgrading existing state government medical colleges, central government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes, and government hospitals.

To accelerate this infrastructure expansion, the government has implemented key operational measures:

• Increased Cost Ceiling: The government raised the cost ceiling to Rs 1.50 crore per PG seat to support advanced infrastructure development.
• Outreach Programmes: The Ministry of Health is actively conducting outreach programmes with state governments, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and other key stakeholders to maximize PG seat availability.
• Hospital Upgradation: District hospitals and standalone institutes are being upgraded to meet NBEMS and NMC clinical norms for hosting post-graduate trainees.

4. No Proposal to Convert NBEMS Diploma Seats to DNB

The Ministry of Health has clarified that NBEMS has no active proposal to convert all Diploma seats into full-fledged DNB seats. Addressing inquiries in Parliament regarding diplomate qualifications, the government stated that the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences will continue operating its standard diploma programmes alongside DNB courses without blanket structural conversion.

This clarification provides certainty to candidates applying for two-year NBEMS Diploma courses, confirming that both qualification tracks will maintain their current legal and educational frameworks.

5. Medical PG Fee Structure: Private Colleges vs NBEMS

Annual tuition fees for NBEMS courses are centrally regulated and fixed at Rs 1.25 lakh per year nationwide, whereas private college fees vary by state. The government outlined the distinct regulatory systems governing post-graduate medical fees in India:

5.1 Fee Structure in Private Medical Colleges

The fee structure for state and private medical courses is determined by the respective State and Union Territory governments, resulting in fee variations across different state borders.

While the NMC issued guidelines in February 2022 to determine fees and charges for 50 per cent of seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities, these guidelines were challenged before various High Courts and the Supreme Court. The matter remains sub judice, meaning state fee regulatory committees currently govern fee structures in their respective states.

5.2 Fee Structure for NBEMS Programmes

For NBEMS programmes — including Doctor of National Board (DNB), Doctorate of National Board (DrNB), Fellowship of National Board (FNB), and Diploma courses — fees are centrally regulated. The annual course fee is uniform across all public and private accredited hospitals in India at Rs 1.25 lakh per annum.

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