There are no nursing colleges in 40% of districts across India, according to Health Ministry data accessed by The Hindu. In fact, 42% of nursing institutions are clustered in five southern States, while three western States have 17%.
The Centre has attempted to correct such regional disparity with a scheme to establish 157 new nursing colleges co-located with medical colleges by April 2025, as well as providing short term training for nurses. However, it says that a number of States have failed to utilise such schemes properly.
Nursing services form the backbone of any medical establishment. India currently has close to 35 lakh nurses, but its nurse-to-population ratio is only 2.06:1000 against a global benchmark of 3:1000.
