Allied Healthcare (GAHC)

This can be termed as a major boost to the medical education system of India and the overall healthcare capacity, as the National Medical Commission has permitted opening 118 new medical colleges across the country in the last two academic years.

Also Read: RTI finds NBEMS received ₹75 Crore as NEET-PG 2024 Exam Fees

The Union Health Ministry informed Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament that for the academic year 2024–25, approvals were accorded to 74 medical colleges, and for 2025–26, 44 such permissions were granted, placing Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan as the top beneficiary states. This exponential growth is part of the government's long-term plan to bridge the gap in supply against growing demand for doctors.

The doctor–population ratio in India is 1:811, considering 80 percent availability of registered practitioners, said Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda. With 13,88,185 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 AYUSH practitioners in the country, there is a perceptible progress towards having more health workers. Medical education has seen an unprecedented transformation by way of the number of colleges increasing from 387 to 818, MBBS seats from 51,348 to 1,28,875, and postgraduate seats from 31,185 to 82,059 since 2014.

The Union Cabinet has also cleared Phase-III of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for adding 5,000 new PG medical seats, in addition to 5,023 additional MBBS seats through upgrading of government medical colleges and standalone PG institutes from 2025–26 to 2028–29, further boosting specialist training. It is also expected to ensure increased access to medical education, ease the severe shortage of specialist doctors, and boost overall healthcare infrastructure, especially in the country's underserved and rural areas. With such aggressive expansions, India gears up for future healthcare demands and inches closer to global standards with regard to doctor-patient availability and capacity in medical education.

This provides not only an important qualification but also quite an indispensable one in a sensitive and highly regulated field of counseling. In turn, many students enter into the first formal step toward professional licensure by pursuing a Master's in Counseling, fully dedicating themselves to the betterment of mental well-being, guiding personal growth, and supporting others through life's most challenging transitions.

Throughout this program, the Master's in Counseling curriculum will place an emphasis on how to incorporate current advanced theoretical principles into established clinical skills in order to prepare you as an effective and ethical practitioner with your clients, whether your goals involve being a mental health counselor, a school counselor, a career advisor, a rehabilitation counselor, or a behavioral health specialist. Graduates will be prepared to provide structured, evidence-based support to people experiencing emotional distress, mental illness, trauma, disability, loss, or major life change.

As you start researching all the different universities offering this degree, it is little wonder that you might get overwhelmed with all the variety in requirements, specializations available, and resultant career paths. A simplified breakdown of what you might expect follows.

Admission Requirements

Students come into the counseling program from a wide range of undergraduate and professional backgrounds. While a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required, it does not have to be in any particular field, such as psychology. Most universities accept students from any undergraduate major; some universities may prefer a background in psychology or social sciences.

Relevant voluntary or professional experience that might support an application could include working with community organisations, schools, helplines, or mental health centres.

Common requirements include:

• Academic transcripts; a minimum 3.0 GPA is often required
• A personal statement or statement of purpose
• A professional resume or CV
• Letters of recommendation
• Short written responses to programme-specific questions
• Some require the GRE, while several have done away with standardized testing altogether.
• Popular Specialisations

Specialized tracks within accredited counseling programs are usually offered in the following:

• Addiction Counseling
• Career Counseling
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Rehabilitation Counseling

School and Educational Counseling College Counseling and Student Affairs Many programs offer additional specializations such as family counseling, trauma-informed therapy, social justice counseling, gerontology, nature-based therapy, and spirituality-informed counseling. 

What Will You Study? 

A master's in counseling is designed to take both theory and practice into account. Students gain an advanced insight into subjects regarding human behavior, psychological development, the techniques of assessment, and various ethical issues in counseling. Core subjects may include but are not limited to the following: Counseling theories and techniques Human growth and development Psychological assessment Multicultural- and diversity-centered counseling Group counseling methods Research and data analysis in counseling Other common areas of focus are trauma care, substance abuse, career development, family therapy, and psychopathology. As well as classroom study, all programs include supervised practicum and internships, giving students field experiences before going into professional life. 

Within the United States and in international contexts recognizing US standards, the most prominent accrediting body is CACREP: the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The CACREP-accredited programmes meet strict academic and professional standards, and are recognized by licensing authorities, government employers, and professional bodies. Accredited programs usually require: Minimum 60 semester credits Practicum: 100 hours; internship: 600 hours. 

While CACREP is by far the best-known accrediting agency, some institutions are accredited by MPCAC, which focuses on interdisciplinary and culturally responsive programs in counseling. Graduating from an accredited institution definitely creates an advantage in licensure and professional certification, as well as in government and hospital-based openings. Much more than an academic qualification, a Master's in Counseling prepares one professionally for a lifetime role - as healer, guide, and support system - within society, offering a stable, respected, deeply fulfilling career path to individuals who are empathetic, patient, and motivated toward changing lives.

According to the reports, Baraiya, who weighs less than 20 kg and has 72% locomotion disability due to dwarfism, was declared ineligible for admission to the MBBS course in 2018 by MCI. The Council had said that his condition would not allow him to carry out the duties of a doctor.

From High Court Rejection to Supreme Court Victory

He continued his battle to the Supreme Court. Four months later, the SC ordered in his favour, saying that height could not be a reason for denying medical education.

Completing MBBS Against All Odds

Baraiya, after the judgment, received an admission letter to Bhavnagar Medical College in 2019. The journey of medical college was not at all easy for him; his small stature made it inconvenient for him to do daily academic work straightforwardly. He was given access to the front row during anatomy dissections, and his fellow students even carried him during surgical postings so he could observe the operations.

Serving as a Doctor, Supporting His Family After doing his internship, Baraiya has now become a doctor, fulfilling the ambition he fought for years to protect. The first thing he is going to do with his earnings is to complete the construction of a proper house for his family who still lives in a kaccha house. “My dream is to give them a solid brick house with basic amenities,” as reported by The Times of India.

The arrest of Abhinav Sharma, an engineer trained in Mathura, has shocked the investigating agencies as he visited more than 110 countries and allegedly operated a Rs 100 crore NEET admission racket.

What police initially thought was just another examination fraud exploded into a story of unimaginable scale: a BTech-Mechanical graduate from an obscure private college living like an international power broker, jet-setting across Europe, North America, Central Asia and South America — when in reality he was fortifying a criminal empire.

Behind this glossy façade of a globe-trotting entrepreneur, officers say Sharma, 35, quietly built a six-state network of deceit-complete with coaching fronts, proxy candidates, and a layered chain of middlemen-that sustained one of the country's most sophisticated exam-rigging syndicates.

DCP crime, Kamlesh Dixit said Sharma's lifestyle was "unmatched even among top corporate executives". He travelled business class, preferred seven-star hotels, and moved through airports in tailor-made Tuxedos. His collection included imported sunglasses worth Rs2 lakh each, a rotating line of Swiss watches and platinum bracelets up to Rs 5 lakh, luxury perfumes and designer shoes and loafers.

Investigators said that he splurged on relationships, too, gifting Rs 5-10 lakh items to several girlfriends and hosting lavish parties in luxurious apartments in Delhi, Bengaluru, Goa, Kathmandu, and Dubai.

Sharma first worked for a Delhi-based company that dealt with college admissions. In a year's time, he mastered the flaws in India's admission ecosystem. By 2012, he started his own ‘consultancy'. The gang targeted families of NEET aspirants and promised management-quota seats in medical colleges in Barabanki, Sitapur, and Bihar.

The money, ranging from Rs 18-45 lakh, was received in cash, through demand drafts and as online transfers into current accounts opened fraudulently in the name of Hind Institute of Medical Sciences.

Police said Sharma even invited some Bollywood stars to his events so that he could appear like a high-profile education entrepreneur.

Investigators found that during one of his earlier stints in jail, Sharma had befriended an inmate, Santosh Kumar, and started running his racket from behind bars. Later, he fled police custody by jumping off a train.

Sharma used at least five different identities to travel, open accounts, and rent properties.

The racket was busted after a number of victims filed complaints at the Lucknow cybercrime police station. FIRs were registered under BNS sections and IT Act 66D. Sharma and Santosh were arrested near Kathauta lake on Wednesday. According to investigators, the probe now focuses on recovering crores of rupees he splurged worldwide and mapping his network.

A Class 2 student of a government union middle school at Elachipalayam near Karumathampatti has been hospitalised with a serious hand injury after she was allegedly caned by her teacher earlier this month.

Hashini, 7, was playing on the school premises on November 7 afternoon, after class hours, when the teacher Periyanayagi allegedly called her aside and struck her on the left elbow with a cane.

"When she came home, we saw swelling on her hand and applied some ointment, but there was no reduction in the inflammation. We took her to a private hospital in Avinashi on November 13 and she was admitted due to severe inflammation," said her mother, Parimala, who along with her husband Sriram, works as a weaver in a private power loom unit.

The police in Karumathampatti registered a complaint at the hospital, after which the teacher apolozised and promised to bear the treatment expenses. Later, the parents withdrew their complaint.

But the child was later shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where the doctors removed the dead tissue near the elbow and advised further treatment, including skin replacement. Parimala said the teacher refused to pay the medical expenses which exceeded Rs 40,000.

Following the complaint, the parents of the girl asked the police to take action against the teacher. Inspector C Vadivel Kumar of Karumathampatti station, told TNIE, “Earlier, the parents withdrew the complaint after the teacher accepted to bear the medical expenses. As they sought to accept the complaint, we are waiting for the court’s order for further action as it was a non-cognisable offence.”

Admission to the recently established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been mired in a political row after 42 Muslim students were selected in a batch of 50.

The political row broke out after the medical college finished the admission process through the merit list prepared by NEET earlier this month. The college had admitted students based on merit in NEET and gave 85% quota to J&K residents. Eight Hindu students from Jammu found a place in its first MBBS batch of 50 students.

After admissions were over, the first protests were held by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, which argued that a college funded by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board should give preference to Hindu candidates.

They further argued that, since the institution is supported by donations from Hindu devotees, it should promote Hindu interests.

Officials maintained that admissions were merit-based since the institute did not have minority status and therefore could not apply any religion-based reservations.

'Seats should be for Mata Vaishno Devi devotees'

The Hindu outfit organisations demanded "minority" institution status for the medical college. On the other hand, BJP demanded that the admissions should be given to those who have faith in "Mata Vaishno Devi", saying "donations to the shrine board come from Hindus, for the welfare of Hindus."

"Donations to the shrine board come from Hindus, for the welfare of Hindus. We are upset with the board and the college because they did not consider this sentiment. We told the LG that only those who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi should get admission. This year's admission is not acceptable to people here. The rules should be changed," said BJP's Sunil Sharma, who lodged a protest with J&K LG Manoj Sinha.

'Our constitution has the word secular'.

Criticizing the outrage over the admissions, J&K CM Omar Abdullah said that the admissions were "merit-based" and those who wanted admissions otherwise should "take permission from the Supreme Court". He further questioned BJP's demands saying that "if you do not want to keep this country secular, remove that word". "Some people do not seem to like merit-based admissions. If you want admissions without merit, take permission from the Supreme Court because as far as I know, you cannot give admission without merit," he said. "There is a demand that admissions be given on the basis of religion, by keeping merit aside, which is not permissible according to the Constitution. Will police perform their duty on the basis of religion," the chief minister asked. "Our constitution has the word 'secular'. If you do not want to keep this country secular, remove that word," he added. On Sharma’s claim that LG assured them of reviewing their demands to scrap the admission list and introduce reservations in future, Abdullah said, “How can anyone assure such a thing? Then why are you separating the Mata Vaishno Devi University and the hospital? Then say that the hospital was set up from the donations received at the shrine and Muslims and non-Hindus won’t be allowed to get treatment there.”