Leh, Oct 20: Ladakh’s first medical college in Leh is set to become operational from the academic year 2027-28, with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare granting a one-time relaxation to initiate recruitment of faculty and support staff before completion of 80 percent of the required infrastructure.
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, described the approval as a historic milestone for the Union Territory, saying it would fulfil a long-standing aspiration of the people and expand opportunities for local youth to pursue medical education closer to home.
In a statement, posted on X, the LG thanked Union Health Minister J P Nadda for taking cognisance of his request and granting the relaxation for the proposed Government Medical College at Spituk Pharka, Leh.
The approval allows the UT Administration to begin staggered preparatory recruitment against 103 sanctioned regular posts, even as construction of the college’s dedicated infrastructure progresses.
According to the ministry’s communication, the Department of Expenditure examined the proposal on October 8, 2026, and agreed to the one-time relaxation, subject to specified conditions.
The 103 posts, sanctioned by the Department of Expenditure on November 27, 2024, will be filled in phases from the academic year 2027-28, in accordance with academic requirements identified by the UT Administration.
The recruitment will be undertaken on a regular basis and strictly in accordance with the approved Recruitment Rules.
The ministry has also stipulated that any interim premises used to operationalise the college must remain temporary. The institution will have to shift to its dedicated infrastructure once construction is completed.
The UT Administration has been asked to establish reasonable timelines for completion of the permanent infrastructure and inform the Department of Expenditure when the college shifts to the new premises.
The development is expected to help address one of the key preparatory requirements for establishing a new medical college by allowing faculty and support staff recruitment to begin ahead of the completion of the infrastructure.
However, the approval relates to the relaxation of recruitment-related requirements and does not, by itself, constitute permission to admit students. The proposed college will also have to meet the applicable National Medical Commission requirements and obtain the necessary permissions before admitting its first batch.
The UT Administration, the LG said, would ensure all necessary arrangements to welcome the first batch of medical students and strengthen the region’s long-term healthcare ecosystem.
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