Punjab, Haryana, Himachal lag in medical education infrastructure

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, July 30

Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir continue to remain underserved insofar as medical education infrastructure is concerned.

An analysis of the Health Ministry data ahead of the declaration of the NEET (UG) results for admission to MBBS courses shows that states and UTs in the region account for only 7 per cent of all medical colleges nationally and 6 per cent of MBBS seats.

Of the 612 medical colleges in India, Punjab and Haryana have 12 each, J&K 10, HP eight and Chandigarh one. The region has 43 colleges. Likewise, the disaggregation of MBBS seats spread across states shows that out of 91,927 MBBS seats up for grabs this year, there are only 5,627 in the region. Punjab has the highest 1,750 MBBS seats in the region, followed by Haryana’s 1,660, J&K’s 1,147, Himachal’s 920 and Chandigarh’s 150. A record 18,72,329 students registered for NEET-UG this year with the National Testing Agency, confirming 95 per cent attendance on the day of the exam, July 17. There are only 91,927 seats.

The data further shows that nearly 50 per cent of MBBS seats are located in Tamil Nadu (10,725), Karnataka (10,145), Maharashtra (9,895), UP (9,053) and Gujarat (5,700).

Sources said 3,495 additional MBBS seats were being created under a centrally sponsored scheme. The scheme covers 16 states, including Punjab (100 seats), Himachal 20 and J&K 60. Likewise, a separate centrally sponsored scheme is under way to increase the number of PG seats. Under this, the plan is to add 4,058 seats in 21 states in the first phase. Of these, 87 will be added in Punjab, 127 in Jammu and Kashmir and 17 in Himachal Pradesh.

50% seats in TN, Guj

The government data shows that nearly 50 per cent of India’s MBBS seats are located in Tamil Nadu (10,725), Karnataka (10,145), Maharashtra (9,895), Uttar Pradesh (9,053) and Gujarat (5,700).

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