There are currently 541 medical colleges across the country with a capacity of 80,312 MBBS seats, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said on September 18.

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In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said, "At present, there are 541 medical colleges (280 under government and 261 under private) in the country with an intake capacity of 80,312 MBBS seats annually." According to the minister, the number of medical colleges in the country has increased by around 45 percent in the last six years.

In 2014, the number of medical colleges in the country was 381. The number of medical seats has increased from 54,348 in 2014 to 80,312 in 2020, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said. The government is implementing a new scheme under which setting up of 157 medical colleges has been approved, and of these, 43 have already become functional, he added.

"As on date, in the case of government medical colleges, the respective state governments are responsible for fixation of fee and in the case of private unaided medical colleges, the fee structure is decided by a committee set up by the respective state government under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge in pursuance of the directions of the Supreme Court of India," the minister said. "It is for the committee to decide whether the fee proposed by an Institute is justified and the fee fixed by the committee is binding on the Institute," he further said.