SRINAGAR: Ladakh’s first Government Medical College in Leh is set to become operational in the academic year 2027–28 after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved a phased recruitment process for 103 sanctioned regular posts, the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat said on Tuesday.
The approval follows Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s intervention seeking a one-time relaxation of the requirement that nearly 80 per cent of the college’s infrastructure be completed before recruitment of faculty and support staff could begin.
According to the press release, the Ministry agreed to the request, allowing recruitment to be undertaken in phases from the 2027–28 academic year, based on the academic requirements identified by the Union Territory administration.
On July 13, 2026, Saxena had written to Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda seeking the relaxation to enable recruitment preparations to begin while construction of the dedicated infrastructure continued.
The administration will fill the posts on a regular basis in accordance with the approved recruitment rules and ensure that the college shifts to its permanent facilities once construction is completed.
As an interim arrangement, two newly constructed buildings have been identified to serve as the academic block and students’ hostel. The existing 200-bedded Sonam Norbu Memorial (SNM) Hospital in Leh, supported by around 60 experienced doctors, is expected to provide clinical training facilities for the first batch of MBBS students.
These temporary arrangements will remain in place until the dedicated infrastructure is completed, in accordance with the conditions stipulated by the Department of Expenditure.
The medical college is expected to expand opportunities for students seeking medical education within Ladakh and strengthen clinical training and healthcare services in the Union Territory.
Welcoming the approval, Saxena thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J P Nadda for their support, describing the development as an important milestone in fulfilling the long-standing demand for medical education facilities in Ladakh.
He said the phased recruitment would help build the required academic team in line with educational needs and enable the administration to make the necessary arrangements for the college to begin operations in 2027–28.
