Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 273.46 crore for the expansion and infrastructure augmentation of Agartala Government Medical College, paving the way for a significant increase in undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats from the 2026–27 academic session, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Thursday.
According to an official communication from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Rs 150 crore has been approved to increase MBBS seats at AGMC from 150 to 250, including 15 seats reserved under the Economically Weaker Sections category. The Centre’s share in this component is Rs 135 crore.
In a separate approval, the ministry sanctioned Rs 123.46 crore for the expansion of postgraduate medical education at the college under a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at strengthening and upgrading state-run medical institutions. Of this amount, the Centre will contribute Rs 111.11 crore.
The project will enable the addition of 83 postgraduate seats across 19 disciplines, including anaesthesia, general medicine, general surgery, community medicine, forensic medicine, pathology, pharmacology, anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, paediatrics, physiology, psychiatry, respiratory medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology.
Sharing the development on social media, Saha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda for approving the funds.
“It will help us increase 100 MBBS seats and 83 postgraduate seats in 19 critical and specialised disciplines from the academic year 2026–27,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that with this expansion, Tripura will have a total of 550 MBBS seats and 196 postgraduate seats across its medical institutions.
Officials said the sanctioned funds will be used for expanding academic infrastructure, improving teaching facilities, and strengthening healthcare education resources at the medical college.
The approvals were granted under centrally sponsored schemes for the “Upgradation of existing medical colleges for increasing MBBS seats” and the “Strengthening and upgradation of state government medical colleges for starting new PG disciplines and increasing PG seats.”