Centre allows phased recruitment against 103 posts
Leh, October 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 approving the institution’s operationalisation and granting a one-time relaxation to allow phased recruitment of faculty and support staff against 103 sanctioned regular posts.
Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena announced the development on Tuesday, describing it as a historic milestone for Ladakh and an important step towards expanding access to medical education and strengthening the region’s healthcare system.
In a post on social media platform X, Saxena said the ministry had approved the operationalisation of the medical college from the 2027-28 academic session. He thanked Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda for considering his request and granting a one-time relaxation from the requirement of completing 80 per cent of the infrastructure before initiating recruitment.
The relaxation will allow the Ladakh administration to begin staggered preparatory recruitment against the 103 sanctioned regular posts while construction of the dedicated academic infrastructure continues.
According to information conveyed by the ministry to the Union Territory administration, recruitment will be undertaken in phases in accordance with the academic requirements of Government Medical College (GMC), Leh, from the 2027-28 academic year onwards. The Department of Expenditure has examined the proposal, and the posts may be filled on a regular basis under the approved Recruitment Rules.
On infrastructure, the ministry has advised that the interim arrangement remain temporary and that the institution be shifted to its dedicated infrastructure at Stipuk Pharka, Leh, once construction is completed. The administration has also been asked to establish reasonable timelines for preparing the proposed infrastructure and inform the Department of Expenditure when the shift takes place.
Saxena said the approval fulfils a long-standing aspiration of the people of Ladakh and will provide local youth with opportunities to pursue quality medical education closer to home.
He added that the Union Territory administration would make all necessary arrangements to welcome the first batch of medical students.
The establishment of the medical college is expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the region over the long term, while creating opportunities for medical professionals and supporting staff. It will also help expand access to professional education in a geographically remote region where students often have to travel outside the Union Territory for higher studies.
The Centre has also approved the establishment of campuses of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu in Leh, with the broader objective of providing local youth access to quality technical and professional education closer to home.
The development comes days after the Leh bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court was inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on October 18. The event was attended by Supreme Court and High Court judges, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, and senior civil and police officers.
