Patiala: A private institution in Fatehgarh Sahib, RIMT Medical College and Hospital, has received approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to commence its MBBS program from the current academic session with 50 seats.
With this latest approval, private medical colleges now offer 850 out of the total 1,550 MBBS seats available in the state. RIMT Medical College, which was initially denied permission in the NMC’s first list this year, successfully appealed and secured the 50 seats.
Also Read:NMC reintroduces MBBS CBME curriculum, removes controversial clauses
While the college initially applied for 100 seats, the NMC granted permission for half the number. This addition brings the total number of private medical colleges in Punjab to 11, compared to just four government institutions, reports Hindustan Times.
College principal Dr. B.S. Brar expressed hope that the number of seats would increase to 150 in the coming years. He added that these newly approved seats would likely be available for the second or third rounds of counselling, considering that the first round admission has already been completed, reports the daily.
“This is a positive development for MBBS aspirants in Punjab. We are planning to increase the number of seats to 150 in the coming years as we have the required infrastructure as sought by the NMC,” said Brar.
Also Read:NMC Permission to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to Start PG Institute of Medical Science with 17 seats
However, the high cost of medical education remains a challenge. In private medical colleges, the tuition fee for an MBBS course under the management quota is ₹58.02 lakh, while a government quota seat costs ₹22.54 lakh.
Meanwhile, the state government's promise of opening 16 new government medical colleges within five years remains unfulfilled. Due to the lengthy process required for NMC approvals, no new government medical college can begin operations before 2026. Construction of proposed government institutions in Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala is still ongoing, making it unlikely that they will be able to offer MBBS seats in the next academic session.