Why do over 400 MBBS seats remain vacant despite MCC conducting additional rounds to fill undergraduate medical seats?

THE soaring cost of private medical education has always been a paramount topic of discussion. While lakhs of aspirants compete for limited vacancies in affordable government colleges, the rising demand at private universities—whose exorbitant tuition fees leave seats vacant —continues to grow.

A report by The Times of India underlined that 411 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats in India remain vacant even after the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducted an additional round for undergraduate medical admissions.

The MCC, which conducts counselling for medical college admissions, held a special stray vacancy round, which included 948 vacant MBBS seats. Of these, 537 seats were allotted to candidates, while 411 remained vacant despite getting an additional opportunity.

The report, quoting a health official, stated that there has been a significant increase in the number of vacant seats compared with last year, when only 60–70 MBBS seats remained vacant.

“The Supreme Court had directed us to conduct four rounds of counselling, but we conducted a fifth round as well. Despite that, more than 400 seats remain without allotments,” the official said.

High medical fees are one of the key factors behind the unfilled vacancies. Annual fees at private medical colleges and deemed universities have climbed from roughly ₹15 lakh to ₹25 lakh and ₹30 lakh, the report claimed.

"In many institutions, fees that were around ₹15 lakh have increased to ₹25 lakh to ₹30 lakh. Govt medical college seats and those in reputed private institutions are getting filled. Vacancies are concentrated in some private colleges. These institutions need to review their fee structures and the quality of education and infrastructure they offer. If fees remain this high, increasing the number of seats will serve little purpose as students can't afford them," an official told the daily.

Karnataka private medical colleges slash MBBS management quota fees by up to 50%

Meanwhile, private medical colleges in Karnataka have slashed fees by up to 50 per cent in the management quota as seats remained vacant.

Some private medical colleges have reportedly slashed the overall cost of MBBS courses by nearly half, reflecting the growing reluctance among students and their families to pay steep fees for medical education.

Around 190 undergraduate management quota seats remained vacant even after the regular admission process, prompting colleges to offer fee concessions to attract students, Deccan Herald reported. In some cases, the total course fee has reportedly been reduced from around ₹1.26 crore to nearly ₹65 lakh.

The fee cuts are significant for private institutions, as vacant management quota seats can result in substantial revenue losses. Colleges rely on higher fees charged under management and NRI quotas to support their operations, while seats under other categories are offered at considerably lower rates.