India, Sept. 4 -- Mumbai: 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, and 50 to the ESIC Medical College," she said. "Only eight of the ESIC seats will go to the AIQ, and the remaining will be available to students whose parents hold an ESIC card." Shenoy added that parents were now waiting for the NMC's decision regarding the increase of seats in private medical colleges before the start of the state quota round. "We hope the NMC will announce the private college additions by the end of this week," she said. "It will give students more options and improve their chances of securing admission within the state." Currently, Maharashtra has 11,845 medical seats, and the newly approved additions will take it to over 12,000. Further expansion in private colleges is expected soon, which will make it easier for students to secure admission under the state quota. In the newly approved seats, apart from the 50 allotted to ESIC Medical College, the Datta Meghe Medical College in Nagpur has got 50, the Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College in Pune has 100, and the Mahatma Gandhi Mission Medical College in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar has got 50. The Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College and Hospital in Sangli has been granted 100 additional seats. Siddhesh Kadam, parent of a student, believes that the approval of new seats will improve opportunities for medical aspirants in Maharashtra, especially after private colleges receive the anticipated government approval for additional capacity. "We are hopeful that the upcoming state quota round will bring more clarity and more seats, making the competition slightly easier in the current academic year," he said....