CHENNAI — Tamil Nadu increased the number of MBBS seats in its government medical colleges by 150 for the 2026-27 academic year, effective July 15, 2026. The expansion brings the total number of MBBS seats in the state’s public medical colleges to 5,200 across 36 institutions.

The increase followed approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC), according to state authorities. Tamil Nadu Minister for Health and Family Welfare K G Arunraj announced the seat expansion, stating that it was made possible after the state government addressed infrastructure requirements and other deficiencies identified by NMC inspection teams.

The state had initially secured approval for only 50 additional MBBS seats under the Medical Assessment and Rating Board of the NMC. However, that number was later enhanced to 150 after further review and compliance with commission guidelines. The Directorate of Medical Education and Research has been instructed to incorporate the additional 150 seats into the official seat matrix for the 2026-27 admission cycle. The revised matrix will be published after receiving final approval from the NMC.

The expansion of MBBS seats in Tamil Nadu’s government medical colleges directly affects medical education access in one of India’s most populous states. By increasing public medical training capacity, the state aims to address regional healthcare workforce needs and reduce reliance on private medical education, which often carries higher costs for students.