Dr Jitendra Singh Welcomes AIIMS Jammu, Bhopal Director Picks
Synopsis
PM Modi has approved the appointment of Dr. Sanjeev Sinha, HoD Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, as Director of AIIMS Jammu, and Dr. Narendra Kotwal as Director of AIIMS Bhopal — a milestone for India's expanding AIIMS network under PMSSY.
Key Takeaways
Dr Sanjeev Sinha , Head of Department of Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi , appointed Director of AIIMS Jammu .
Dr Narendra Kotwal , Endocrinologist, appointed Director of AIIMS Bhopal .
Both appointments approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
Both institutes are part of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) , with approvals dating to phases from 2012 onward.
Director-level appointments are a key milestone in transitioning new AIIMS campuses from construction to full clinical and academic operation.
Two of India's newest premier medical institutions just got the leadership they need. Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday, August 7, 2026, publicly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approval of director appointments at AIIMS Jammu and AIIMS Bhopal — a move that marks a critical step toward making both institutes fully operational.
Dr Sanjeev Sinha heads to Jammu
Dr Sanjeev Sinha, currently Head of the Department of Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi — one of the country's most senior clinical physicians — has been appointed Director of AIIMS Jammu. Dr. Jitendra Singh, who flagged the appointment on X, described Sinha as 'a seasoned Physician' and 'one of our valued colleagues,' signalling the weight the medical establishment places on the pick. Bringing a practising clinician of that calibre from the flagship Delhi campus to lead a frontier institute in Jammu is a deliberate signal: the government wants credibility, not just a caretaker.
An Endocrinologist takes the helm in Bhopal
Dr Narendra Kotwal, a specialist Endocrinologist, has been named Director of AIIMS Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Jitendra Singh — himself an Endocrinologist — noted a personal connection, calling Kotwal 'a fellow Endocrinologist.' The appointment brings specialist clinical leadership to an institute that serves a large central-Indian catchment with a significant burden of metabolic and lifestyle diseases.
PMSSY's long road to functional institutes
Both AIIMS Jammu and AIIMS Bhopal are products of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), under which successive central governments have greenlit new AIIMS campuses across states to decentralise tertiary care and expand medical education. The Bhopal and Jammu institutes were approved in phases from 2012 onward. Director appointments represent a turning point in that long arc — the moment an institution moves from construction project to functioning hospital and medical college. What comes next: faculty recruitment, MBBS batch timelines, and the ramp-up of full clinical services for patients who have waited years for world-class care closer to home.
Point of View
Practising clinicians rather than administrative placeholders — a quiet but consequential governance choice. For AIIMS Jammu in particular, drawing the HoD Medicine from the Delhi flagship carries symbolic weight in a region where access to tertiary care has historically lagged. Dr. Jitendra Singh's public endorsement, framing both appointees as colleagues, also underscores the degree to which the science-health ministry cluster remains personally invested in the PMSSY rollout. The real test arrives in the months ahead: how fast these new directors can recruit faculty, admit students, and open wards to patients.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has been appointed Director of AIIMS Jammu?
Dr Sanjeev Sinha , Head of the Department of Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi , has been appointed Director of AIIMS Jammu , as approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Who is the new Director of AIIMS Bhopal?
Dr Narendra Kotwal , a specialist Endocrinologist, has been appointed Director of AIIMS Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
Which government scheme established AIIMS Jammu and AIIMS Bhopal?
Both institutes were established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) , which has funded the creation of new AIIMS campuses across India in phases from 2012 onward.
Why did Dr Jitendra Singh welcome the AIIMS director appointments?
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science and Technology, publicly thanked PM Modi for the appointments, describing Dr Sanjeev Sinha as a 'seasoned Physician' and a valued colleague, and noting a personal connection to Dr Narendra Kotwal as a fellow Endocrinologist.
What happens after a new AIIMS gets a director?
A director appointment is a key milestone that typically triggers accelerated faculty recruitment, finalisation of MBBS admission timelines, and the ramp-up of full clinical services for patients in the region.
