One of the most significant factors in postgraduate medical admissions in India is the total number of government seats available in the NEET PG examination. They offer great opportunities for training in MD, MS, and PG Diploma seats. These are in high demand because the education here is of high quality with much lower tuition costs than those offered by private institutions.

This guide provides the total number of government PG medical seats in India, their distribution across states, and other crucial details that help students build a strong foundation before commencing counselling.

Keep reading to learn more.

Overview of PG Medical Seat Availability in India

India also has approximately 70,645 postgraduate medical seats available in 202324, of which 54,834 are MD/MS seats. These include 33,416 in government colleges and 21,418 in the private institutions, reflecting a drastic increase compared to 31,185 in 2014.

To be eligible to apply for a postgraduate course, medical graduates must be aware of the number of available PG positions in India. Regarding 2023-24, official information indicates that there are roughly 54,834 MD/MS seats (broad speciality) in India. This totals approximately 70,645 PG seats, including diploma and DNB seats.

Approximately 33,416 of those seats are available in government colleges. (In comparison, parliamentary records indicate that this was a 127% increase, as compared to only 31,185 PG in 2014.) The disaggregate stands at 54,800 MD/MS seats (33,416 government and 21,418 private). 

Key highlights include:

• Total Indian government representation in PG medical seats (2023-24): est. 33,416.
• PG seats India (government + private, 202324): Approx. 70,645.
• Total NEET PG in India (MD/MS courses, 202324): approximately 54834.
• The total number of seats in private colleges: Approximately  21,418 PG.

Total Government PG Seat State-Wise Distribution

Approximately half of the Indian PG medical seats are offered by the government medical colleges. These 33,416 government PG seats, allocated in the 2023-24 seat matrix, are not evenly distributed across the states and Union Territories.

Government medical colleges contribute roughly half of India’s PG seats. In the 2023–24 seat matrix, these 33,416 government PG seats are distributed unevenly across the states and Union Territories. Maharashtra alone has the largest share, followed by Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan.

The table below highlights the top states by count:

State name	Government PG seats
Andhra Pradesh	1923
Arunachal Pradesh	0
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	0
Assam	738
Bihar	908
Chandigarh	585
Chhattisgarh	475
Dadra  and Nagar Haveli	0
Delhi	2889
Goa	137
Gujarat	2186
Haryana	432
Himachal Pradesh	264
J & K	606
Jharkhand	263
Karnataka	1856
Kerala	1077
Madhya Pradesh	1489
Maharashtra	3576
Manipur	255
Meghalaya	37
Mizoram	0
Nagaland	0
Orrisa	725
Puducherry	314
Punjab	408
Rajasthan	2255
Sikkim	0
Tamil Nadu	2765
Telangana	1504
Tripura	85
Uttar Pradesh	2301
Uttarakhand	1572
West Bengal	1791
Total	33,416

Maharashtra leads the chart with approximately 3,576 government PG seats. In order of position, Delhi (central quotas and AIIMS-type institutions) has 2,889 seats, with Tamil Nadu at 2,765.

Conversely, there are few, if any, seats for small states/UTs. There are 33,416 PG seats in government-run colleges across all states.

All India Quota vs State Quota Seat Allocation

PG seats in the Government of India are divided equally between All India Quota (AIQ) and State Quota, with approximately 16,700 seats being filled by AIQ counselling. Competition varies across states, so a high AIQ ranking gives insurgents access to the best colleges in the country.

The number of seats in each government college is usually divided 50/50 between the State Quota and the All-India Quota (AIQ). Approximately half of the seats (approximately 16,700/33,416) are distributed through All India counselling (MCC) and the remaining half through state-wise counselling.

In 2024, taking the MCC seat break-up as an example, it was demonstrated that approximately 25,791 seats (across all MD/MS/Diploma programs) were filled in central AIQ counselling. Specifically, state (and central university/deemed) quota policies fill the remaining seats.

(Note: DNB seats and postgraduate seats in central autonomous institutes will have their own quota mandates, but are not counted as being under this NEET PG govt-seat count)

Either way, half of the government seats are available to all India (AIQ), and AIQ candidates can get the best nationally (usually in the top percentile today).

An effective preparation plan will therefore include both objectives: securing the home state seats and achieving the highest AIQ ranks to maximise choices.

FAQs about Government NEET PG Seats

1. How many seats are available in NEET PG across India?

Tens of thousands of PG medical seats are on order in India as of 2023-24. In India, a total of 70,645 PG medical seats (MD/MS/PG Diploma) are listed in official records. In practice, NEET Postgraduate counselling covers 54,834 MD/MS seats. The combined total of this number is about 70,000 to 70,000+ seats, including those of the PG Diploma and DNB programs.

2. What is the All India Quota? 

In the case of PG, AIQ usually implies half of the government college seats open to the candidate nationwide. Practically, there are approximately 16,70017,000 AIQ seats (50 per cent of 33,416) in MD/MS programmes.

Such AIQ seats are occupied through central MCC counselling. The remaining 50 per cent are state quota seats, filled through state counselling.

3. Do AIIMS and other top institutes accept NEET PG? 

No. NEET PG is not used at 15 AIIMS (including AIIMS New Delhi) and at institutes such as the PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry, NIMHANS Bangalore, SGPGI Lucknow, and SCTIMST Trivandrum. These institutions have a separate MD/MS entrance test (INI-CET). These seats are supplementary to the figures above, and fares are included by different methods.

4. Are DNB and super-speciality (DM/MCh) seats counted here? 

No, they are separate. Broad speciality DNB seats (Diplomate of National Board) of around 14,190 are available in the country (202324); however, access to DNB courses is through the DNB-CET exam (not NEET PG).

Through NEET-SS, Super-speciality seats (DM/MCh) are filled. Therefore, by NEET PG seats, we refer to the MD/MS/PG Diploma seats offered by medical colleges (excluding DNB and DM/MCh).

5. How can I use this seat information in my preparation strategy?

Being aware of the number of seats is conducive to laying down benchmarks. Competition is fierce, with approximately 33000 govt and 21000 private MD/MS seats (54000 in total). The aspirant needs to be far beyond the cutoffs. The aspirant must think of the backup (state institutes or DNB).

The aspirant must be more practical in studying, choose high-yielding topics, practice papers, and use study time well. There are seat cutoffs based on the number of seats available; hence, plan accordingly. Only a small proportion of seats are filled by government applicants; one should aim higher and have backup plans.

Conclusion

In India, there are approximately 70,000 postgraduate medical seats (MD/MS/PG Diploma) every year, both in governmental and private institutions. Admission to those seats and the government seats is restricted by the NEET PG exam, where about half are sent to colleges through the All-India Quota.

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