TN to double govt nursing seats, to add 855 new admissions across 13 institutions
Chennai, July 22
The Tamil Nadu government is set to significantly expand nursing education in the state by increasing the number of seats in government nursing institutions from 796 to 1,651, nearly doubling the existing capacity.
The move, which will add 855 new seats across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, aims at strengthening the State's healthcare workforce while making professional nursing education more accessible to students from economically weaker backgrounds.
The expansion forms part of the government's broader strategy to enhance allied health education alongside the continued growth of MBBS and BDS programmes in government medical colleges.
The proposal has been approved by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME&R), and the additional seats are expected to be introduced after the required regulatory approvals.
Under the proposal, 660 new BSc Nursing seats, 120 Post Basic BSc Nursing seats and 75 MSc Nursing seats will be created across 13 government institutions. The largest increase will be in the undergraduate BSc Nursing programme, where the intake will rise from the existing 510 seats to 1,170.
Most of the additional undergraduate seats will be accommodated in six new Model Colleges of Nursing that are nearing completion on the campuses of government medical colleges.
Each institution is being established at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore with financial support from the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. Besides these colleges, the Government Medical College, ESI and Hospital in Coimbatore will also receive additional seats.
According to the proposed seat matrix, KAP Viswanathan Government Medical College in Tiruchy and the government medical colleges at Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Erode and Tirunelveli will each receive 100 new BSc Nursing seats, while Coimbatore's Government Medical College, ESI and Hospital will receive 60 seats.
The government also plans to expand higher nursing education. The 120 additional Post Basic BSc Nursing seats will be equally distributed among the Colleges of Nursing attached to Chengalpattu Medical College, Government Theni Medical College and Rajah Muthiah Medical College in Cuddalore.
Similarly, 75 new MSc Nursing seats will be shared equally among the Colleges of Nursing at Chengalpattu Medical College, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College in Salem and Government Theni Medical College.
Officials said the expansion would provide greater opportunities for students who cannot afford private nursing education. Annual tuition fees in government institutions remain substantially lower than those charged by private colleges.
Students admitted under the government quota pay Rs 60,000 annually for BSc Nursing and Post Basic BSc Nursing courses, compared with Rs 1.2 lakh under the management quota. For MSc Nursing, the annual fee is Rs 75,000 under the government quota against Rs 1.25 lakh under the management quota.
The expansion is also expected to help address the growing demand for trained nursing professionals.
According to the Tamil Nadu Nursing Council, nearly 19,000 nursing students register with the Council every year.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some attention to allied health professions! We have too many doctors but not enough nurses. This will definitely improve healthcare in rural areas where people struggle to find trained staff. The Rs 40 crore per college investment seems steep though - hope they monitor the spending properly. 🏥👩⚕️
Good to see expansion, but 19k new nursing students per year? Will the govt also create enough job positions in public hospitals? Many private hospitals underpay nurses terribly. Also, why only 75 MSc seats? We need more specialists too. Hope this is part of a bigger plan.
Being a nurse is one of the most challenging jobs out there. My cousin studied nursing in a private college and struggled with fees. This expansion is a boon for middle-class families. But I hope the govt also improves salaries for nurses in Tamil Nadu - many go abroad because of better pay. #HealthcareHeroes 💪
Looks good on paper, but let me ask - are there enough qualified faculty to handle 1,651 students? Many govt nursing colleges already struggle with staff shortages. Without proper teachers, the quality of education will suffer. The DME&R should have addressed this first.
This is wonderful news for Tamil students! Nursing offers a stable career, and with competition being so high for medical seats, this is a great alternative. The fee structure is very reasonable too. TN govt should also advertise these courses properly in rural areas to reach more deserving students. 😊
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