Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, a renowned Diabetologist and Professor of Medicine, emphasized the government’s commitment to making medical education affordable and accessible for all, irrespective of their socio-economic status. Speaking as the chief guest at an Academic meeting held at Stanley Medical College in Chennai, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the government’s efforts and achievements in this regard.
Underlining the government’s focus on medical education, Dr. Jitendra Singh pointed out the remarkable increase in the number of government medical colleges, which has risen from 145 to 260. Additionally, he mentioned that 22 AIIMS institutions have been approved under the Central Sector Scheme, with undergraduate courses already underway in 19 of them. The Minister further noted that the number of MBBS undergraduate seats has surged from 51,348 in 2014 to 91,927 seats, reflecting a significant increase of 79%. Similarly, the number of postgraduate seats has risen by 93%, reaching 60,202 seats in 2014.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted the efforts to revise the criteria for NEET UG to ensure transparency in medical admissions and prevent backdoor admissions under the NRI quota.
He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to provide medical and engineering education in regional Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Bengali. Dr. Jitendra Singh confirmed that medical education has already commenced in Hindi and that engineering studies in Hindi, along with the translation of engineering books into eight languages, are in progress, allowing students to pursue technical and medical education in their mother tongue.
India’s leadership in healthcare, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, was emphasized by Dr. Jitendra Singh. He pointed out that India’s technological advancements and human resources have positioned it ahead of most other countries in the healthcare sector. He praised Prime Minister Modi for bringing “Preventive Health Care” into focus and highlighted India’s achievements in producing two DNA vaccines and a nasal vaccine within just two years.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted India’s successful vaccination drive, delivering over 220 crore vaccinations through the COWIN digital platform. India’s role in assisting neighboring countries with vaccines during the pandemic was recognized globally.
During the pandemic, even Western countries looked to India for immunity-building techniques derived from Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Yoga, Naturopathy, and other traditional systems of medicine.
Dr. Jitendra Singh noted the growth potential of India’s healthcare sector, estimated to reach $50 billion by 2025, with India poised to capture around $10 billion of the global medical tourism market. He also highlighted India’s status as the world’s largest supplier of generic drugs.
Lastly, Dr. Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the visionary “Digital India” initiative, and he declared Ayushman Bharat as the world’s best health insurance scheme. He emphasized that integrating various sciences and domains of medicine is essential for India to become self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) in healthcare, leading to a brighter future for New India.
