Ladakh’s first medical college to start in 2027–28, centre relaxes recruitment norms

Ladakh’s first government medical college in Leh is expected to begin operations in the 2027–28 academic year after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare relaxed recruitment norms to expedite the institution’s establishment.

The Centre has granted a one-time relaxation of the requirement that infrastructure must be nearly 80% complete before faculty and staff recruitment can begin. The decision will enable the administration to recruit for 103 sanctioned regular posts in phases, based on academic and operational requirements.

The approval follows a request by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on July 13, 2026, seeking relaxation of the existing norms to prevent further delays in launching the institution.

As construction of the permanent campus continues, the administration has identified two newly constructed buildings to serve as the academic block and students’ hostel. These temporary facilities will support the initial operations of the medical college until the permanent campus is ready.

The 200-bed Sonam Norbu Memorial (SNM) Hospital in Leh, which has around 60 experienced doctors, is expected to provide clinical training facilities for MBBS students.

The project, approved in 2019, has faced delays related to infrastructure development and recruitment. A parliamentary standing committee had also flagged the slow progress in March 2023 and recommended measures to expedite the establishment of the institution.

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The launch is expected to strengthen medical education and healthcare infrastructure in Ladakh. Currently, students seeking medical education often have to study outside the Union Territory. For the 2026–27 academic year, Ladakh received seven MBBS seats under the Central Pool at medical colleges outside the region.

With recruitment now permitted ahead of the completion of the permanent campus, the administration can begin preparing the workforce required to operationalise the college in 2027–28.