Institution has started in 1960, as “Medical College Rohtak” and for first 3 years, students studied and housed at Medical College Patiala. In 1963, students moved to the parent institution in Rohtak. The institution was renamed, in 1994, from Medical College Rohtak to Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma, Medical College Rohtak (Pt. B.D. Sharma, Medical College Rohtak) and in 1995, institution was upgraded to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, and got its current name Pt B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (abbreviated as Pt B.D. Sharma PGIMS Rohtak). Several overseas organizations, have previously listed the institution as Govt Medical College Rohtak, or Medical College Rohtak.

The institution used to be affiliated with Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. In the year 2008, a new state university, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak was created, and PGIMS was put under the aeges of this university. This is a state university and has authority over all medical education institutions in haryana state (Medical colleges, Dental colleges, Nursing colleges, Physiotherapy colleges, Ayurvedic colleges, Homoeopathic colleges, Pharmacy colleges).