BUDGET 2025: 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges, daycare cancer centres announced

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 3 (STC): One of the notable announcements by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to include 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges as well as daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals has delighted students.
In her Budget speech, the Finance Minister mentioned remarkable growth in medical education in the last 10 years.
She said, “10,000 additional seats to be added in medical colleges next year and 75,000 seats to be added in next five years.” She added that all district hospitals to have daycare cancer centres. About 200 daycare cancer centres will be established in 2025-26.
Further, “broadband connectivity to primary health centres will help in expanding telemedicine consultation for rural patients at village level”, she said.
According to a report, in the last 10 years, medical colleges in the country have doubled to 780 in 2024-25 from just 387 in 2013-14 — a 102 per cent growth.
During the same period, the seats for MBBS also rose from 51,348 to 1,18,137 — a 130 per cent surge. (STC)