Hyderabad: The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) decision to remove the rule that limited the number of MBBS seats based on population in a state gives a big boost to Telangana’s plans to expand medical education.The earlier norm, which limited seats to 100 per 10 lakh population, increasingly became a constraint for Telangana, despite its rampant infrastructure push of medical colleges. With the cap now withdrawn, experts said the state can move ahead with plans to increase intake across its network of govt medical colleges without regulatory bottlenecks.Over the past decade, Telangana transformed its medical education landscape, growing from just five colleges in 2014 to 34 colleges covering all 33 districts. This scale of expansion, frequently highlighted in national analyses, is among the fastest achieved by any state in India within such a short span.The surge in infrastructure has been matched by a sharp rise in seat availability. From around 2,850 MBBS seats at the time of state formation, Telangana is now nearing the 9,500 mark — far exceeding what would have been permissible under the earlier population-linked formula, which capped the state at roughly 3,845 seats.Officials noted that the NMC’s parallel decision to relax distance norms between medical colleges and teaching hospitals to 10 km further strengthens Telangana’s district-based model. By integrating existing district hospitals with newly established colleges, the state has prioritised high patient load centres over standalone campuses, ensuring better clinical exposure for students while improving healthcare delivery.Dr Kiran Madhala, secretary-general, Telangana Teaching Doctors’ Association (TTGDA), said the population-based cap on medical seats failed to reflect ground realities, as it did not account for the needs of remote and underserved regions.“Telangana, however, has followed a different path by focusing on expanding govt medical colleges instead of depending on the private sector. This approach has improved access to MBBS seats for students from economically weaker backgrounds, making medical education more inclusive. Telangana model is now drawing attention across the country, with several States looking to adopt similar strategies to strengthen public medical education and improve healthcare access,” he added.However, the rapid expansion of medical colleges has also brought challenges, particularly in recruiting qualified faculty. As of early 2026, Telangana is facing a severe medical education crisis, with 27 departments across 36 govt medical colleges having zero teaching faculty and more than 150 departments lacking senior professors. In 2025, the NMC flagged deficiencies in 26 of these colleges, including acute faculty shortages and poor infrastructure, leading to intense scrutiny.However, a senior health official argued that infrastructure development was a necessary first step. “Creating institutions generates demand for faculty and specialists. Recruitment is now catching up with the pace of expansion,” a senior official said.He added that another key feature of Telangana’s model has been its focus on local access. Nearly all seats in govt colleges established after 2014 are reserved for students from within the state, substantially widening opportunities for aspiring doctors.
