Centre slashes about 28 MD/MS seats in 7 state-run med colleges
Kolkata: The National Medical Commission’s (NMC) move to reduce about 28 MD/MS seats in seven state-run medical colleges in Bengal has triggered a political slugfest in the state with the ruling Trinamool Congress accusing the BJP-led Centre of “political vendetta”.
According to the Central government data, in 2023 and 2024, several orders were issued for the reduction of around 28 postgraduate medical seats which may leave far reaching implications in the health infrastructure in Bengal.
In a written reply to a parliament question, minister of state for Union Health Ministry Anupriya Patel said 34 medical colleges—both government and private were issued show cause notices in the academic year 2024-25 and 37 others (both govt & private) were issued notices in the academic year 2025-26 as they failed to meet requisite parameters in terms of faculty, infrastructure and other clinical parameters.
The NMC has altogether issued show cause notice to 71 medical colleges, both govt and private, in Bengal as they had deficiencies in respect to faculty, infrastructure and other clinical parameters, the Centre told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
The Calcutta Medical College and Hospital lost one MD seat in Respiratory Medicine and the number has gone down from 6 to 5. NRS Medical College’s MD General Medicine seats were reduced to 10 from earlier 12 while in the RG Kar Medical College, MS in Obstetrics & Gynecology seats dropped to 22 from earlier 25. If all the seats in seven state run medical colleges are combined, around postgraduate medical seats roughly dropped to 143 from what remained at 171, said the Central government data.
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president, Dr Indranil Khan said, MD/MS seats slashed in various state-run medical colleges in Bengal owing to shortage of faculty, infrastructure and other issues.
“MD/MS postgraduate trainees, the backbone of our state tertiary care centres, are falling in numbers owing to deteriorating infrastructure and faculty crisis in Bengal,” Khan said.
A senior Trinamool Congress leader however rubbished Khan’s claim and said that it’s a result of vendetta politics. Ahead of 2026 Assembly elections, the BJP were trying all sorts of tricks to put Bengal in trouble, but the people of Bengal will again bring Mamata Banerjee in power for yet another time with more seats.
