Access paradox: On medical education in India

The scope of medical education in India has expanded so rapidly that it raises important questions about access to it. The number of seats has nearly tripled in 12 years, thanks in part to the government’s push to improve access to health care, entailing infrastructure upgrades and simplified regulations. However, much of the growth has been happening in the private sector, in addition to new government colleges attached to district hospitals. This year, for the first time, private institutions host more than half of all MBBS seats . Of the roughly 10,000 new seats, 79% are in such institutions, a sign that growth in the near future will remain concentrated thus. The increase in seats is, in and of itself, commendable as India’s students still compete fiercely for MBBS seats even as health-care centres suffer a debilitating shortage of specialist practitioners. Thousands of students also seek education abroad. Therefore, expanding domestic ‘capacity’ is a natural response and the rising number of seats ought to relieve the bottleneck and keep talent at home.