New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) India will add 10,000 more post graduate seats in medical education within two years, a step aimed at curbing brain drain, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Wednesday.

'Many graduates of medical education are going abroad for studies. I want to assure an additional 10,000 PG seats within two years,' Azad said at the 94th convocation of the Lady Hardinge Medical College.

These seats will be available in central and state medical colleges, he said. Of the 10,000 seats, the minister said 4,000 will be available from the coming academic session.

Currently India has over 13,500 post graduate seats across the country. With the new announcement, the number will increase to over 23,500 seats.

He said the central government has approved a scheme under which the health ministry will fund and upgrade all medical colleges run by state governments.

'It is a Rs.1,350 crore plan for the state medical colleges,' he said.

'The central government will fund them, strengthen them, upgrade their facility and increase the number of seats in post graduate course,' the minister added.

Currently, hundreds of medical graduates are going abroad to pursue higher education as all graduates cannot be accommodated in post graduate courses. The minister said that with this move, the central government wants the medical brains to stay in the country.

'Please don't fly abroad after your post graduation,' Azad said.