PMK calls for opening new govt medical colleges in six TN districts after NMC eases norms

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday called for the immediate opening of new government medical colleges in six districts of Tamil Nadu, following the National Medical Commission (NMC) decision to withdraw restrictive norms that had hindered the expansion of medical education in the state.

In a statement, Ramadoss said the scrapping of the earlier regulation has created an opportunity to establish government medical colleges in Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Mayiladuthurai, Perambalur, and Tenkasi.

He urged the state government to act without delay to improve access to medical education and healthcare infrastructure.

The PMK leader explained that the now-withdrawn rule, notified by the NMC on August 16, 2023, had imposed a cap of 100 MBBS seats per 10 lakh population. This meant that states exceeding the prescribed ratio would not be allowed to start new medical colleges or increase student intake. Based on Tamil Nadu’s population, the state would have been eligible for only 7,731 MBBS seats. However, with 12,650 seats already in existence across government and private colleges, the rule had effectively blocked further expansion.

Ramadoss noted that the PMK had strongly opposed the regulation from the outset and that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking its withdrawal.

The NMC had subsequently deferred implementation of the rule for a year, restricting approvals only to institutions that had applied before 2025. Welcoming the latest notification issued on April 27, 2026, withdrawing the controversial norms, he said the move would revive stalled plans to expand medical education capacity in Tamil Nadu and other southern states.

Reiterating PMK’s long-standing goal of establishing at least one government medical college in every district, Ramadoss highlighted that during the AIADMK regime led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, as many as 13 new government medical colleges were started in 50 months -- the highest in the state’s history. However, he criticised the DMK government under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, alleging that not a single new government medical college had been opened during its tenure.

He said the government had sufficient time over the past four years, even before the restrictions came into force in 2025, to establish new colleges, but failed to do so. Ramadoss added that with the regulatory hurdles now removed, the state must prioritise expanding medical infrastructure, and assured that the PMK would push for swift action if a welfare-oriented government assumes office.