New medical colleges

The work is in progress for the five new medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. To know about the progress of the work, the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir recently held a review meeting and asked the different wings of the government to expedite work on these colleges.

The progress of two new Medical Colleges being established at Udhampur and Handwara (Kupwara) was also discussed. It was stressed that necessary steps be completed  for starting academic activities there.

The meeting was informed that the Academic, Administrative and Hostel blocks at all the earlier sanctioned 05 Medical Colleges are nearing completion and only few minor works are under progress to be completed at an earliest. It was further added that the work on Udhampur College has been taken in hand recently and the tenders for Handwara College have been opened and contract would be awarded soon.

Moreover it was added that with the operationalization of these 05 New Medical Colleges in Phase-I, the intake capacity of MBBS seats in the UT has increased from 500 to 1100 seats annually. The intake capacity is expected to further increase to 1300 MBBS seats this year with the start of academic session in GMC Udhampur and Handwara sanctioned under Phase-III of Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Establishment of Medical Colleges. The Letter of Permission (LoP) has been received in favour of GMC Udhampur and Handwara for 100 MBBS seats each recently from the National Medical Commission. Additionally, two new AIIMS at Vijaypur and Awantipora shall add another 200 MBBS seats.