India, Sept. 4 -- The National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 2,720 new medical seats across the country, of which around 1,100 are in government medical colleges. Maharashtra has received approval for 350 additional seats, with 300 of them allotted to deemed universities and 50 to the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College in Andheri. The new seats will be available through the All India Quota (AIQ), whose second round of admissions is scheduled to begin on September 5.

Sudha Shenoy, a member of the Parents Association, welcomed the decision but noted that the benefit for state students would be limited. "Of the 350 seats approved in Maharashtra, 300 belong to deemed universities, which have very high fees, ...