CHANDIGARH: The Union Government has cleared the creation of 320 new postgraduate medical seats across six government medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh, with financial assistance of around Rs 415 crore, with the aim of expanding specialist medical education and improving access to specialised healthcare in the hill state.
The approval covers government medical colleges in Shimla, Tanda, Hamirpur, Mandi, Nahan and Chamba. Of the 320 seats, 91 have been sanctioned for Shimla, 57 each for Tanda and Hamirpur, 55 for Mandi, 32 for Nahan and 28 for Chamba.
The additional seats will strengthen specialist medical education and healthcare services in fields such as surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and oncology, among other specialities.
Making this announcement, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said that this decision was in line with several past moves to strengthen medical education and healthcare over the past 12 years and asked the Himachal Pradesh government to quickly complete the required formalities so that students and the public could benefit from the initiative at the earliest.
Nadda said that the Congress-led state government submitted its proposal on June 23, and the matter was later discussed with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on October 6, 2026, during the convocation ceremony of AIIMS Bilaspur.
“The central government has acted swiftly on Himachal Pradesh's proposal and approved all 320 PG medical seats. We now expect the state government to move forward with equal speed and complete the necessary formalities so that students and people of Himachal Pradesh can benefit from this initiative at the earliest,” he said.
Nadda said, “As part of these efforts, the Centre approved a Rs 15,000-crore initiative to add 10,000 undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats across the country over five years.
The 320 new postgraduate seats in Himachal Pradesh are part of this wider initiative to expand medical education and strengthen the country's healthcare workforce.”
He also expressed concern over delays in other centrally supported development projects, particularly the construction of Critical Care Blocks and Public Health Laboratories, and called upon the state government to accelerate their implementation.
Nadda also called for faster implementation of other development projects in Himachal Pradesh that are receiving central support. Referring to the Chandigarh-Baddi and Bhanupalli-Bilaspur railway projects, he sought an early resolution of pending issues related to the state's financial contribution and the availability of land.
“The Central Government 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,” he said.
He added that while the Central Government was fulfilling its responsibilities with determination, the state government must demonstrate equal commitment to ensuring the effective and timely implementation of development projects.