India has one allopathic doctor available for every 811 people, according to new data shared in Parliament. Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda provided updated figures on the country’s medical workforce and highlighted ongoing steps to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Nadda informed the House that a total of 13,88,185 allopathic doctors are currently registered nationwide, in addition to 7,51,768 practitioners within the AYUSH system. “Assuming that 80 per cent of registered practitioners in both the allopathic and AYUSH systems are available, the doctor-population ratio in the country is estimated to be 1:811,” he said.
The minister also underlined the rapid expansion of India’s medical education infrastructure. Since 2014, the number of medical colleges has increased from 387 to 818. Undergraduate seats have risen from 51,348 to 1,28,875, while postgraduate seats have grown from 31,185 to 82,059.
To improve healthcare access in underserved regions—including rural and tribal areas—the government has rolled out multiple initiatives. As part of the centrally-sponsored scheme for establishing new medical colleges linked to district or referral hospitals, 137 out of the 157 approved colleges are now operational.
Nadda further highlighted the introduction of the Family Adoption Programme (FAP) within the MBBS curriculum. Under this initiative, medical colleges adopt villages, and MBBS students work closely with families in those communities. Through regular follow-ups, students support vaccination efforts, monitor growth, promote menstrual hygiene, ensure iron-folic acid consumption, encourage healthy living, educate on nutrition, track medication adherence and vector control, and raise awareness about government health schemes.
He also noted that under the National Medical Commission’s District Residency Programme, second- and third-year postgraduate students are deployed to district hospitals to strengthen specialist services. Additional incentives, including a hard-area allowance and residential facilities, are provided to encourage specialists to serve in remote locations.
Under the National Health Mission, states have the flexibility to offer negotiable salaries and adopt innovative hiring models such as “You Quote We Pay” to attract specialist doctors.
Nadda added that the NMC’s regulations on the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practise Medicine allow foreign-qualified and foreign-registered doctors to obtain temporary registration for specific purposes such as training, fellowships, research, observerships, expert visits, voluntary service, and approved postgraduate or super-specialty programmes.