New Delhi
A plan to increase medical seats in India by 75,000 over the next five years was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech. The announcement was made from the Red Fort as part of his address on the 78th Independence Day.
It was highlighted that the government has raised the number of medical seats to nearly one lakh in the past decade. Despite this, around 25,000 students still go abroad each year for medical studies. The decision to further increase medical seats aims to help these students.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, medical colleges in the country have increased by 88 percent, from 387 in 2014 to 731 in 2024. MBBS seats have also grown by 118 percent, from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,12,112 in July 2024. Additionally, there has been a 133 percent rise in postgraduate seats, from 31,185 before 2014 to 72,627.
A focus on nutrition for children was also stressed by the Prime Minister, as part of the goal to make India healthy by 2047. A nutrition campaign has been launched as the first step toward this objective.
PM Modi also referred to initiatives from the 2024 budget aimed at training India's youth to enhance their skills, aligning with global trends and Industry 4.0 needs.