Chennai: Medical colleges across Tamil Nadu together expanded MBBS seats by 950 this year, with 13 existing institutions raising their intake. A new private college, APS Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, was added to the roster with 150 seats, according to a seat matrix released by the National Medical Commission. The additions bring the state’s capacity to 13,999 seats across 78 medical colleges for the academic year 2026-27, up from 13,049 seats at 77 colleges.Across India, NMC has cleared the decks for 9,911 additional seats — including 2,111 seats in govt colleges. The list does not include Central govt institutions such as AIIMS.Namakkal, Thiruvallur and Tirupur govt colleges each expanded their intake from 100 to 150 seats, adding 150 seats in the public sector, taking the seat tally in 37 govt colleges to 5,349.Among private institutions, NMC has permitted increase of 800 seats, including the newcomer. Of these, 150 are added to three deemed universities. The remaining 650 will be added to the state matrix, for which admissions will be done by the state selection committee.The additions come as a consolation for a state that has lost 800 MBBS seats from its own counselling matrix after some self-financing colleges and private universities were granted deemed university status. Seats from at least four institutions are expected to be removed from the state list and included instead in the Central pool overseen by the Medical Counselling Committee.The admission to deemed universities, done by the MCM, follows merit in NEET but has no reservations. The annual tuition fee is at about ₹20 lakh. In Tamil Nadu, self-financing colleges and private universities offer up to 60% seats for govt quota, for which the selection committee follows 69% rule of reservation, and sets aside 7.5% seats for govt school students. The annual tuition fee varies from ₹4.35 lakh to ₹5.40 lakh for govt quota seats, and ₹15 lakh to ₹16.20 lakh for management-quota seats. The net effect may not be a squeeze, said senior official. “150 seats in govt colleges and 650 in from private colleges will be added in the state basket,” he added.Health minister K G Arunraj said the state is going ahead with negotiations and moving courts against grant of deemed university status to some universities. “But the state will ensure new seats are added to the seat matrix,” he said.
