Approval for 320 additional postgraduate medical seats, distributed among six government-run medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh, has been granted at the national level, with the expansion intended to widen pathways for medical graduates while bolstering specialist care delivery throughout the state.
Around Rs 415 crore in funding from the Centre was committed to the initiative, Jagat Prakash Nadda, who holds the Health and Family Welfare portfolio, told reporters on Friday. According to Nadda, the approval would open up pathways for doctors pursuing specialist training in Himachal Pradesh, while also broadening access to specialised medical care across the state.
A proposal from the state government reached the table on 23 June 2026. At the AIIMS Bilaspur Convocation Ceremony held on 6 October 2026, the topic was raised in conversation with Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister.
All 320 postgraduate medical seats put forward by Himachal Pradesh received clearance from the central administration, according to a statement noting that the proposal had been processed without delay. Nadda called on the state government to complete the remaining procedural steps with comparable urgency, so that residents of Himachal Pradesh — including students — could access the benefits of the initiative without undue delay.
Shimla received the largest share of the 320 newly authorised positions — 91 in total — while Tanda and Hamirpur each drew 57, Mandi was allotted 55, Nahan 32, and Chamba the remaining 28.
A ministry statement indicated that the newly allocated seats are intended to bolster training capacity across a range of clinical fields, covering Surgery, Orthopaedics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Oncology, and related specialities, with the aim of improving healthcare delivery in those areas.
Addressing reporters, Nadda pointed to a broad enlargement of medical education capacity across India over the preceding dozen years. A Rs 15,000 crore funding package, cleared by the Centre, is set to bring 10,000 additional undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats into the national system over a five-year span.
Himachal Pradesh's allocation of 320 additional postgraduate medical seats sits within a wider push to grow the pipeline of trained healthcare professionals across the country. The Union Minister directed Himachal Pradesh's administration to move forward without delay on setting up and activating the seats that had already received approval. He contended that swift action by the state would open those newly created posts to recently qualified doctors without delay.
A push for quicker delivery of development projects receiving Central Government backing in Himachal Pradesh came from Nadda, who pressed for the work to move ahead without delay. With the Chandigarh-Baddi and Bhanupalli-Bilaspur rail corridors in view, he put forward the case for prompt attention to outstanding matters around the state's financial share and the availability of land.
He stressed the need to speed up work on Critical Care Blocks and Public Health Laboratories receiving Central funding, adding that infrastructure projects with a direct bearing on the lives of Himachal Pradesh residents ought to move forward without undue hold-ups. Nadda conveyed that the Centre was providing full backing for development work across the state, and that a matching level of priority from the state government toward timely project completion was anticipated.
Nadda told the gathering that the central government planned to keep directing resources toward expanding medical colleges, reinforcing health services, and building out infrastructure across Himachal Pradesh, adding that the welfare of families in the state remained a stated objective of the administration.
