NBEMS plans to increase PG seats to 25,000

MANGALURU

The National Board of Examination in Medical Science (NBEMS), which currently has around 17,000 seats, is making an effort to increase this number to 25,000 in a few years, said Dr Abhijat Sheth, President of NBEMS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Dr Sheth was in the city to attend an annual convocation of a deemed-to-be university. He spoke about the increase in PG seats, the rationale behind the two shifts in the entrance exam, which is largely criticised, and the focus on PG specialities that are more required in the country. Dr Sheth was instrumental in significantly increasing NBEMS PG seats from approximately 4,500 in 2016 to 17,000 to date. He said that this was possible because the board removed unnecessary barriers, especially by making the accreditation process simpler. “We aim to increase to at least 25,000 by the end of 2030. However, there are challenges ahead. The board is strongly focusing on achieving a UG/PG ratio of 1:1. This not only enhances access to human resources but also increases the quality of medical education and healthcare,” Dr Sheth said.

Beyond increasing seat numbers, Dr Sheth focused heavily on enhancing skill training, digital eLearning, and faculty development programmes. “With the advancement of technology and the increase in the complexity of medical treatment and diseases, we need to extend the scope of medical education beyond physical education, ideally complemented by skill and virtual learning,” he said. Regarding the decision to conduct NEET PG in two shifts, in 2024, the K Radhakrishnan committee reviewed the process and recommended that it should be held in government-approved institutions and TCS-approved centres. “As a result, the board, which had 1,000 centres until 2023, reduced this to 450, which made it impossible to conduct a single-shift examination,” he added.