After the National Medical Council (NMC) approved just 50 MBBS seats for the government medical college in Mumbai, leading to disappointment among aspirants, state Education Minister Hasan Mushrif said on Tuesday that the government is working towards starting 10 new Government Medical Colleges this academic year.

Despite the government's assurance to add nearly 1,000 seats at government medical colleges, the NMC approved only 50 berths for the 2024-25 academic year. Out of 14 applications for new medical colleges, only G T Hospital in Mumbai and MGM Nerul received NMC approval, each with 50 seats. The state government had announced 10 new colleges, but most were rejected by the NMC for not meeting requirements.