Nursing Courses, Colleges & Career Paths

Nursing education in India, regulated by the Indian Nursing Council (INC), includes the 4-year B.Sc Nursing, the 3-year GNM diploma, the 2-year ANM, the Post Basic B.Sc Nursing, and the 2-year M.Sc Nursing with specialisations in Medical-Surgical, Child Health, Obstetric and Gynaecological, Community Health, and Psychiatric Nursing. Admission is through NEET UG at many institutions, the AIIMS B.Sc Nursing exam, state nursing entrance tests, and university tests, with 10+2 in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and English required. Leading colleges include AIIMS New Delhi, CMC Vellore, PGIMER Chandigarh, the College of Nursing at Armed Forces Medical College (Pune), and Manipal College of Nursing. Government fees range from ₹5,000–₹50,000 per year, while private colleges charge ₹60,000–₹2.5 lakh per year. Nurses work in hospitals, ICUs, community health and teaching, and are in strong demand abroad in the UK, Gulf, Australia and Canada, with Indian salaries of ₹3–8 LPA and much higher overseas.