India's medical schools are usually called medical colleges. Medical school quality is controlled by the central regulatory authority, the National Medical Commission, which inspects the institutes from time to time and recognizes institutes for specific courses. Most of the medical schools were set up by the central and state governments in the 1950s and 60s. But in the 1980s, several private medical institutes were founded in several states, particularly in Karnataka. Andhra Pradesh state allowed the founding of several private institutions in the new millennium.[1] Medical education in a private institute can be expensive if not subsidized by the government.
The basic medical qualification obtained in Indian medical schools is MBBS. The MBBS course is four-and-a-half years, followed by one year of Compulsory Rotating Residential Internship (CRRI). The MBBS course is followed by MS, a post-graduation course in surgical specialties, or MD, a post-graduation course in medical specialities or DNB in any medical or surgical specialities, which are usually of three years duration, or diploma postgraduate courses of two years duration. Super or sub-specialties can be pursued and only a MS or MD holder is eligible. A qualification in a super- or sub-specialty is called DM or MCh.
As of 2021, entry to medical education is based on the rank obtained in NEET (UG). Some institutes like the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Christian Medical College, Kasturba Medical College, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Armed Forces Medical College, St. John's Medical College and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences used to conduct separate entrance tests at the national level before NEET.
Indian states with the most medical colleges include Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. States with the fewest include Manipur, Tripura, Chandigarh, Goa, and Sikkim.
As of 21 May 2020[update], there are 543 medical colleges and 64 stand alone PG Institutes in India whose qualifications are recognized by the National Medical Commission. Following is an incomplete list of medical colleges in India.
| State / UT | Number of Medical Colleges | Number of Stand Alone PG Institutes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 1 | 0 | |
| Andhra Pradesh | 31 | 1 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 0 | |
| Assam | 12 | 2 | |
| Bihar | 16 | 0 | |
| Chandigarh | 1 | 1 | |
| Chhattisgarh | 10 | 0 | |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 1 | 0 | |
| Daman and Diu | 0 | 0 | |
| Delhi | 10 | 11 | |
| Goa | 1 | 0 | |
| Gujarat | 29 | 2 | |
| Haryana | 12 | 1 | |
| Himachal Pradesh | 7 | 0 | |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 8 | 0 | |
| Jharkhand | 7 | 2 | |
| Karnataka | 60 | 9 | |
| Kerala | 32 | 2 | |
| Ladakh | 0 | 0 | |
| Lakshadweep | 0 | 0 | |
| Madhya Pradesh | 22 | 0 | |
| Maharashtra | 56 | 11 | |
| Manipur | 2 | 0 | |
| Meghalaya | 1 | 0 | |
| Mizoram | 1 | 0 | |
| Nagaland | 1 | 0 | |
| Odisha | 15 | 1 | |
| Puducherry | 9 | 0 | |
| Punjab | 10 | 2 | |
| Rajasthan | 27 | 0 | |
| Sikkim | 1 | 1 | |
| Tamil Nadu | 50 | 5 | |
| Telangana | 33 | 1 | |
| Tripura | 2 | 0 | |
| Uttar Pradesh | 55 | 5 | |
| Uttarakhand | 6 | 0 | |
| West Bengal | 25 | 8 | |
| Total | 543 | 64 |
| Annual Intake | Government | Private | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| MBBS | 48,028 | 44,765 | 92,793 |
| Others | 28,920 | 17,915 | 46,835 |
| Total | 76,948 | 62,680 | 1,39,628 |
| Source: NMC's Website[4] | |||
