Independence Day 2024: PM Modi announces 75,000 new medical seats in next five years ’Students spend crores abroad...’

PM Independence Day 2024 speech: In a bid to bolster the education of aspiring medical students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, announced the creation of 75,000 new medical seats in the next five years.

“Students spend lakhs and crores for medical education abroad; we will create 75,000 new medical seats in the next 5 years,” said PM Modi in his Independence Day 2024 speech on Thursday.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi shed light on the difficulties Indian students face in receiving medical education. He said that children, mostly from the middle class, are going abroad for medical education. They spend "lakhs and crores" on medical education abroad, he said.

"In the last 10 years we have increased the medical seats to nearly 1 lakh," Modi said.

"Around 25,000 youths every year go abroad for medical education and they go to such countries, I get surprised when I hear about them. So we have decided, 75,000 new seats will be created in the medical line in the next five years," Modi stated.

NEET row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement for the expansion of medical seats in upcoming years came amid the controversy of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam irregularities. Few months ago, NEET-UG exam was marred by the controversy over paper leak and cheating. The controversy also impacted the NEET-PG exam which was scheduled to take place in June this year. However, the exam was postponed and held on 11 August 2024 after the Supreme Court rejected a plea requesting the further postponement of the exam.

Independence Day 2024 celebrations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unfurled the national flag for the 11th time in a row from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day. While addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi laid special emphasis on the skill development of youth, women's safety, strengthening of the education system, Viksit Bharat, boost to the manufacturing sector, etc in his Independence Day speech. Amid the frequent cases of natural disasters occurring in different parts of the country, PM Modi called for urgent action to deal enhance preparedness for such incidents.