Every year, lakhs of aspiring doctors battle the fiercely competitive NEET exam, hoping to secure a coveted MBBS seat. Yet, shockingly, thousands of medical seats go unfilled across India. According to data from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and state authorities, over 10,000 MBBS seats remained vacant after counselling rounds in 2024 This contradiction begs the question—what’s wrong with MBBS admissions in our country?
❗The Alarming Numbers
Despite a significant increase in MBBS seats in the last ten years, many private and some government medical colleges continue to face hundreds of unfilled vacancies after counselling. In 2024, over 10,000 MBBS seats in India went unfilled despite several rounds of the counselling procedure.
💸 Exorbitant Expenses in Private Medical Schools
One major factor for the thousands of unfilled MBBS seats annually is the high tuition fees imposed by private medical institutions. Annual expenses varying from ₹10 to ₹25 lakhs prevent many skilled students—who have passed NEET—from realizing their medical dreams solely due to financial constraints.
“It’s not an absence of talent—it’s a shortage of funds that prevents their progress.”
🔄 The TherapyDilemma
I passed NEET with a good score, but I missed my seat because of a technical problem during counselling. “It was devastating ,”stated Sneha R., a student from Maharashtra
What is expected to be a seamless admission process frequently becomes a frightening ordeal. The NEET counselling process, at both national and state levels, is often plagued by delays, unclear procedures, technical issues, and inadequate communication. Students often miss deadlines or face difficulties with document uploads, resulting in missed chances even after they qualify.
🌍 Geographical Disparities in Seat Allocation
Another overlooked issue is the uneven distribution of medical seats. Many are located in far-flung or less-developed regions where students are hesitant to go, due to language barriers, subpar facilities, or inadequate infrastructure. This regional mismatch causes some colleges to face a seat shortage while others see rows of empty classrooms.
⌛Delayed Admissions & Academic Calendar Chaos
Repeated delays in counselling and seat allotment often push the academic calendar back by months. By the time students get admitted, the loss of time and uncertainty causes some to opt out altogether or look for alternatives abroad.
🌍 Foreign Medical Universities: A Rising Choice
With Indian private colleges being unaffordable and government seats too few, students are increasingly choosing MBBS abroad, where the cost is lower, infrastructure better, and admission process simpler—further fuelling the vacancies back home.
🧠 What Needs to Change?
✔️ Make MBBS education more affordable and transparent
✔️ Streamline and simplify the counselling system
✔️ Ensure timely admission schedules and academic continuity
✔️ Strengthen facilities in rural medical colleges
✔️ Introduce centralized monitoring for vacant seat reporting
🎯 Final Thoughts
India needs more doctors—but the system ironically pushes them away. Unless structural reforms are made, thousands of bright students will either give up their dreams or leave the country in search of opportunity—leaving MBBS seats empty, and a nation underserved.