More MBBS seats for 2027-28? NMC opens applications for new medical colleges and seat increases
The National Medical Commission’s rating board is inviting online applications to start new MBBS colleges and to raise intake at existing ones from the 2027-28 academic year. The portal opened on 8 October. Hospitals must be tied to one college only, a dedicated corpus fund is now required, and private colleges must post an electronic bank guarantee.
The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a public notice on 8 October 2026. It invites online applications for two things for the 2027-28 academic year: setting up new medical colleges to teach MBBS, and increasing the annual MBBS intake of existing colleges. Approvals from this cycle decide how many MBBS seats will be on offer in NEET UG 2027 counselling.
The application timeline
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Part A (primary application) opens | 8 October 2026 |
| Part B (compliance with minimum standards) opens | 1 November 2026 |
| Last date for Part A with fee, and Part B | 31 December 2026, 11:59 pm (per the covering letter) |
| Payment reconciliation | 5 January 2027 |
One caution for applicants: the Secretary's covering letter gives 31 December as the last date for Part A. The text of the public notice attached to it still says Part A closes at 11:59 pm on 30 November, with fee reconciliation by 4 December. Until NMC clarifies, the safe course is to file Part A by 30 November. Part A cannot be edited once it is submitted.
Conditions worth noticing
- One hospital, one college. A teaching hospital cannot be attached to, or used by, any other medical college. Where the hospital is leased, the lease must run for at least 30 years.
- Corpus fund. Applicants must earmark a fund used only for running the college. Colleges already operating must keep one too. MARB will set the amount in a separate notice.
- Bank guarantee. Private colleges must post a guarantee, as an electronic bank guarantee only, scaled to the seats approved in the Letter of Permission. Government colleges give an undertaking from the state's health secretary instead.
- No conditional affiliation. The university's Consent of Affiliation counts only if it followed a local inspection, and it can be used for one application only.
- Disclosure. Members of the sponsoring trust, society or company must name any other medical college they are linked to. Faculty details must include AEBAS (biometric attendance) IDs.
Why students should watch this
New seats approved in this cycle feed straight into the 2027 seat matrix. The rules on corpus funds, exclusive hospitals and guarantees are aimed at colleges that open without enough patients or money. Before you pick a newly opened college in counselling, check its NMC permission status and the hospital it is attached to.
CareerBox News Desk — reporting on the National Medical Commission’s letter and the Medical Assessment and Rating Board’s public notice of 8 October 2026 inviting applications for new medical colleges and increased MBBS intake for 2027–28. Official portal: nmc.org.in. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.