Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 17: In a major boost for NEET aspirants amid rising concerns over examination irregularities reported across the country, Karnataka has been allotted 1,122 additional government medical seats, medical education minister Dr Sharan Prakash R Patil said.

Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, the minister said the enhanced seat availability would significantly benefit students aspiring for medical education and marks a major milestone in the state’s medical education expansion.

He said Karnataka has secured a record number of additional seats, noting that the sanction of over 1,000 medical seats to a single state at one time is unprecedented. “This reflects Karnataka’s strong position in medical education,” he said.

The minister said the newly sanctioned seats will be distributed across several government medical colleges, including those in Koppal, Gadag, Chamarajanagar, Karwar, and other districts.

He informed that the approvals were formally cleared on May 15 by the central government and the union health and family welfare department. Karnataka will receive a total allocation of Rs 1,090 crore, including Rs 495 crore for undergraduate (UG) medical seats and Rs 541 crore for postgraduate (PG) seats.

Dr Patil urged students to make full use of the expanded opportunities in the state’s medical education system, saying Karnataka now offers significantly greater scope for those aspiring to build careers in medicine.

He also detailed the state’s medical education capacity, stating that Karnataka has 72 medical colleges, including private and deemed universities. The current intake includes 13,945 UG seats and 7,727 PG seats, he added.