As of January 27, 2026, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has integrated 125 newly approved postgraduate seats into the ongoing admission planning. Following successful appeals by medical colleges, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) has released a revised seat matrix across key clinical specialties. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is now incorporating these seats into the Round 3 allotment process without waiting for individual letters of permission. This strategic expansion aims to maximize seat utilization and address specialist shortages in both government and private medical institutions.

The postgraduate medical education landscape in India is witnessing a significant expansion as of January 27, 2026. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has officially approved 125 additional postgraduate seats through its First Appeal Committee. These newly sanctioned seats have been immediately integrated into the current counselling cycle, providing much-needed relief to thousands of aspirants. By allowing these seats to be reflected in the seat matrix before formal individual permits are issued, the commission ensures that no specialized training matrix is left underutilized due to administrative bottlenecks.

Specialty-wise Seat Distribution

The MARB public notice dated January 13, 2026, details a wide variety of specialties benefiting from this increase. The allotment of these seats is focused heavily on high-demand clinical branches.

• Clinical Specializations: Significant additions include 19 seats in MD Paediatrics, 15 in MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and 13 each in MD General Medicine and MD Dermatology.
• Critical Care & Diagnostics: The revised matrix also accounts for 12 new seats in MD Anaesthesiology and 9 in MD Radio-Diagnosis.
• Surgery & Allied: MS General Surgery and MS Orthopaedics have seen an increase of 6 seats each across participating institutions.
• Reporting Timeline: Candidates can see these additional options reflected in the updated vacancy lists for the current counselling round.

Impact on Admission Planning

The integration of these seats has led to a strategic shift in counselling strategies for Round 3. Authorities have been instructed to proceed with the allotment of these seats immediately to avoid further vacancies.

Regulatory Oversight and Transparency

To maintain the integrity of the medical matrix, the NMC has clarified that the list uploaded on its official portal serves as the valid legal document for seat distribution. This prevents delays usually caused by the physical dispatch of Letters of Permission (LoPs).

• Validation: Colleges must submit an E-Bank Guarantee and affidavit for the newly sanctioned allotment within the stipulated time.
• Merit-Based Access: Despite the increase in seats, the allotment remains strictly governed by the revised NEET PG merit ranks.
• Institutional Compliance: The NMC's All News section confirms that these decisions were made under Section 28(5) of the NMC Act, 2019, ensuring legal compliance.

Conclusion

The addition of these allotment opportunities marks a proactive move by the NMC to strengthen specialist healthcare training for the 2026 session. By reflecting these changes directly in the admission matrix, the commission has ensured that candidates in the final rounds of counselling have access to a broader range of clinical options. As the session continues, these newly approved positions will play a vital role in reducing the workload of resident doctors across the country.