One hundred fifty-seven new medical colleges have been approved in India since 2014. These colleges were approved under a centrally sponsored scheme, and Rs 17,691.08 crores have been spent on it, said an official response to an RTI query.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said that there are 554 medical colleges countrywide, including 286 government-run institutions and 268 private-owned. The medical education (MEII) section is administering a centrally sponsored scheme to establish new medical colleges attached to existing districts/referral hospitals.
The MoHFW was responding to a query filed by Amit Gupta, a Noida-based RTI activist.
"About Rs 2,451.1 crores has been provided under the CSS since 2014 for up-gradation of existing state government/central government medical colleges to increase MBBS seats in the country," said the official response. It added that no "annual help" was provided to government medical colleges.