Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, addressed the fourth anniversary ceremony of the National Medical Commission (NMC) today, where he emphasized the need to increase medical seats in the country. During his speech, Nadda commended the NMC for adding 25,000 undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) seats over the past four years, according to a Ministry of Health and Family Welfare press release.

In his address, JP Nadda called on the NMC to expand by an additional 75,000 medical seats by 2029, in line with the growing demand for medical professionals. He also noted that NMC had achieved its earlier target of providing 1,00,000 MBBS seats a year ahead of schedule. Nadda encouraged NMC to meet the target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which seeks to add these seats within the next five years.

Praising recent technological advances adopted by NMC, including the use of AI in medical college assessments and the introduction of Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance (AEBAS) for faculty, Nadda urged the commission to continue enhancing the quality of medical education. He also highlighted the National Medical Register (NMR), describing it as "a dynamic database for all allopathic doctors," which has received around 20,000 applications so far.

Nadda emphasized the importance of public health initiatives like the Family Adoption Program, which prepares MBBS students to become compassionate and skilled clinicians. He pointed out the growing focus on preventive healthcare and wellness in the medical field.

During the ceremony, Nadda also released several publications, including an essay compilation titled *Making of a Family Physician: Reaching the Roots*, a collage book featuring selected works, and the first survey report on medical camps conducted under the Family Adoption Program by second-year MBBS students in 2022. The survey involved 496 colleges across 28 states and Union Territories.

The Union Minister concluded by congratulating students newly admitted to MBBS courses and recognizing those who wrote the best essays and created the best collages. Senior officials, including Hekali Zhimomi, Additional Secretary of the Union Health Ministry, Dr. BN Gangadhar, Chairperson of NMC, and other prominent figures, were present at the event.