Kathmandu, Oct. 26 -- Nepal's Medical Education Commission has increased the number of seats in public medical colleges for the coming academic year, with entrance examinations for medical and other health science programmes scheduled to begin on Saturday.

A total of 9,691 seats have been allocated across the programmes, and 77,359 students have applied to sit the integrated entrance examinations.

According to Sasmit Pokharel, minister for education and sports and co-chair of the commission, 418 seats have been added compared with last year. The increase is confined to government institutions, while seat allocations at private medical colleges remain unchanged.

"The aim is not to discourage the private sector, but to give meritorious s...