The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the operationalisation of Ladakh’s first Government Medical College in Leh on 19 October 2026. The college is scheduled to begin operations in the 2027–28 academic year.
Medical Education Regulation
The approval includes a one-time relaxation in infrastructure-related requirements. Preparatory recruitment may begin before 80 per cent of the physical infrastructure is complete. The relaxation allows staggered recruitment against 103 sanctioned regular posts from the 2027–28 academic year.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena requested the relaxation in a letter to Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda on 13 July 2026. The National Medical Commission Act, 2019, provides the national framework for regulating medical education and medical institutions. The National Medical Commission replaced the Medical Council of India in 2020.
Clinical Training Infrastructure
Two newly constructed buildings in Leh have been identified for use as the college’s Academic Block and Students’ Hostel. The existing 200-bedded Sonam Norboo Memorial Hospital, also known as SNM Hospital, is to provide clinical training.
Medical colleges in India combine classroom instruction with clinical learning in hospitals. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) is the common entrance examination for undergraduate medical courses in India.
Ladakh’s Administrative Context
Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019, following the reorganisation of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Leh is one of Ladakh’s two districts; Kargil is the other. The college approved in Leh is the Union Territory’s first government medical college.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the college on 19 October 2026.
- The proposed start of operations is the 2027–28 academic year.
- The approval provides for staggered recruitment against 103 sanctioned regular posts.
- The 200-bedded SNM Hospital is designated to provide clinical training.
Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019. The National Medical Commission Act was enacted in 2019.
