CHENNAI: The National Medical Commission has approved a 50-seat increase in MBBS intake at two government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, raising capacity at each from 100 to 150 seats starting the 2026-27 academic year.The expansion at Government Medical College and Hospital in Namakkal and Government Medical College and Hospital in Tiruppur, will push the total seat count across the state’s 36 government medical colleges to 5,150.On July 10, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board issued letters of permission for both colleges under the National Medical Commission Act of 2019. Both institutions are affiliated with The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University.State health officials said they are anticipating similar approval for 50 additional seats at a medical college in Tiruvallur. The increases mark the first expansion of government seats in five years. In 2021, near the end of the previous AIADMK government’s term, the state opened 11 new medical colleges, but neither the number of colleges nor their seat counts had grown since then. “An increase in govt medical seats means better clinical material, higher teaching standards and lower fees for meritorious students,” an official said.The additional seats are also expected to benefit more government school students, who qualify for a 7.5 percent reservation. Admissions to govt medical colleges are handled by the state selection committee based on merit in the NEET-UG 2026 exam, in accordance with the 69 percent reservation rule
