Centre approves 320 PG medical seats for Himachal Pradesh, grants ₹415 crore
Synopsis
The Centre has cleared all 320 PG medical seats proposed by Himachal Pradesh across six government colleges, backed by a ₹415 crore grant. The move — part of a ₹15,000 crore national scheme — significantly expands specialised healthcare training in the hill state, but Nadda has put the state government on notice to fast-track implementation and unblock stalled infrastructure projects.
Key Takeaways
The Centre has approved 320 PG medical seats across six government medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh .
A central grant of approximately ₹415 crore will fund the initiative.
The seats are part of a larger ₹15,000 crore national scheme targeting 10,000 new medical seats over five years .
Largest allocation goes to IGMC Shimla with 91 seats ; smallest to GMC Chamba with 28 seats .
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda urged the state to complete regulatory formalities without delay for timely operationalisation.
Nadda flagged delays in Critical Care Blocks , Public Health Laboratories , and two pending railway projects in the state.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday, 24 October 2026, announced that the Centre has approved all 320 additional Postgraduate (PG) medical seats proposed by Himachal Pradesh across six government medical colleges. The Centre will provide a grant of approximately ₹415 crore to support the initiative, in a significant expansion of specialised medical education in the hill state.
College-Wise Seat Distribution
Nadda provided a detailed breakdown of the approved seats: Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla receives the largest allocation of 91 seats, followed by Government Medical College, Hamirpur and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda with 57 seats each. Ner Chowk Medical College, Mandi gets 55 seats, while Government Medical College, Nahan and Government Medical College, Chamba receive 32 and 28 seats respectively.
Timeline and Background
Himachal Pradesh submitted its formal proposal on 23 June. The approval gained momentum when Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu discussed the matter with Nadda during the convocation ceremony at AIIMS Bilaspur on 6 October. The swift processing — from state proposal to central clearance — reflects the urgency attached to expanding postgraduate medical capacity in hilly, underserved regions.
This comes as part of a broader ₹15,000 crore national scheme approved by the Centre to add 10,000 new medical seats across the country over five years. Himachal Pradesh's 320 seats represent a significant share of this nationwide push.
Specialisations and Impact
The new PG seats will cover critical disciplines including surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, and oncology, among others. Nadda emphasised that the expansion would simultaneously serve two objectives: creating more pathways for medical graduates to pursue postgraduate education, and improving access to specialised healthcare closer to citizens' homes — particularly important for a geographically dispersed state like Himachal Pradesh.
Centre's Caution to State Government
While announcing the approval, Nadda also flagged concerns over delays in other centrally supported projects in the state, specifically the construction of Critical Care Blocks and Public Health Laboratories. He urged the Himachal Pradesh government to complete all administrative and regulatory formalities without delay so the 320 seats can be operationalised on time.
Nadda also raised pending issues relating to the state's financial contribution and land availability for the Chandigarh-Baddi and Bhanupalli-Bilaspur railway projects, stressing that development work must not stall due to unresolved administrative or financial decisions.
'The Central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, remains fully committed to extending every possible assistance for the development of Himachal Pradesh. Our priority is clear: The development of Himachal Pradesh, greater opportunities for its youth and the welfare of every family,' Nadda said.
With regulatory formalities still to be completed, the pace at which the state government acts will determine when students and patients actually benefit from this expansion.
Point of View
But the announcement arrives with an implicit warning: Nadda's public flagging of stalled Critical Care Blocks, delayed Public Health Laboratories, and unresolved railway financing signals that the Centre is growing impatient with state-level execution gaps. The tension between a BJP Union minister and a Congress-led state government in Himachal is legible in the subtext. The real test is whether this PG seat expansion follows the completion curve or joins the queue of approved-but-delayed projects. For a state chronically short of specialists — where patients routinely travel to Chandigarh or Delhi for tertiary care — operationalisation timelines matter far more than approval headlines.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many PG medical seats has the Centre approved for Himachal Pradesh?
The Centre has approved all 320 proposed Postgraduate medical seats for Himachal Pradesh, spread across six government medical colleges. The approval comes with a central grant of approximately ₹415 crore.
Which colleges in Himachal Pradesh will get the new PG medical seats?
The six colleges are: Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla (91 seats); Government Medical College, Hamirpur (57); Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda (57); Ner Chowk Medical College, Mandi (55); Government Medical College, Nahan (32); and Government Medical College, Chamba (28).
What national scheme are these seats part of?
The seats are part of a ₹15,000 crore central scheme to add 10,000 new medical seats across India over five years. Himachal Pradesh's 320 seats represent a significant allocation under this programme.
What specialisations will the new PG seats cover?
The approved seats cover disciplines including surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, and oncology, among other critical medical fields. The aim is to strengthen specialised healthcare services within the state.
What did Nadda say about delays in Himachal Pradesh's development projects?
Nadda expressed concern over delays in the construction of Critical Care Blocks and Public Health Laboratories in the state, and flagged pending financial and land issues related to the Chandigarh-Baddi and Bhanupalli-Bilaspur railway projects. He urged the state government to accelerate implementation so that centrally funded projects deliver on time.
