New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) The government spends Rs 30-35 lakh for every MBBS student, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Saturday, while urging new doctors to work towards society.

Addressing the 21st annual convocation ceremony of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the Minister highlighted the remarkable progress achieved in India’s healthcare and medical education sector over the past decade.

“The government spends between 30-35 lakh for every MBBS student, said Nadda while urging “the graduating students to actively contribute to academics and research...and shoulder more responsibilities towards society”.

“From just one AIIMS at the end of the past century, today there are 23 AIIMS institutions across India, reflecting the government’s commitment to expanding quality healthcare and medical training to every region,” the Health Minister said.

He further informed that in the last 11 years, the number of medical colleges in the country has increased from 387 to 819.

Similarly, undergraduate medical seats have risen from 51,000 to 1,19,000, and postgraduate seats from 31,000 to 80,000.

Nadda added that till 2029, under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an additional 75,000 seats will be added across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, of which more than 23,000 seats have already been added in one year.

Nadda highlighted that currently, there are more than 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs operational in the country, which are providing comprehensive primary care services to the people.

He also informed that more than 62 crore people, accounting for over 40 per cent of India’s population, are being provided with health coverage up to Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat- PMJAY scheme, the largest health coverage scheme in the world.

The Union Minister also congratulated the graduating students and commended KGMU for its contribution towards advancing medical science education and patient care in India.

“KGMU is ranked 8th in the 2025 NIRF rankings, and 12 of its faculties have been listed in the top 2 per cent scientists by Stanford University, which is a remarkable achievement,” he stated.

The Minister also encouraged the students to remain lifelong learners and innovators, committed to advancing medical science and serving society with compassion.

--IANS

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