India's private medical seats surge, raising access concerns

India's medical education expansion has nearly tripled MBBS seats in 12 years, but private institutions now host over half of them, with 79% of new seats in the private sector. While this growth addresses student demand, it raises affordability and quality issues: private seats can cost 10 times more than government ones, and commercial viability clusters in prosperous urban areas, potentially worsening rural healthcare shortages. Experts urge enforcing fee regulations and rewarding rural service.