Govt Spends ₹30-35 Lakh Per MBBS Seat: JP Nadda Tells Students ‘You Owe It to Society’ at KGMU Convocation”

Speaking at the 21st convocation of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow on December 20, 2025, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda explicitly stated that the government spends between ₹30-35 lakh for every MBBS student. He used this figure to argue that while basic education is a birthright, professional medical education is a “privilege” bestowed by society, creating a moral obligation for doctors to “pay back” through service.

During his address, the minister also highlighted the rapid expansion of India’s medical infrastructure to counter complaints about facilities. He noted that the number of AIIMS institutes has grown from 1 to 23, and medical colleges have increased from 387 to 819 in the last 11 years. He remarked that while students are free to go abroad, they can “no longer complain about a lack of facilities” in India as a justification.

While the ₹35 lakh price tag implies a premium education, the reality in many peripheral GMCs often operating as construction sites with zero patient flow tells a different story.
Demanding students “pay back” society is ironic when the system itself frequently fails to provide the basic clinical exposure and infrastructure needed to become a competent doctor. Before counting the cost, we must audit the quality of what is actually being delivered.
What do you think?