Two new medical colleges in Jammu & Kashmir, Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara and GMC Udhampur, are about to accept their first batches of MBBS students. It is a significant development for medical education in the state. With the admission of these colleges, the entire seat pool for the forthcoming academic session will expand by 200 seats. This development is a great step towards satisfying the region’s rising demand for healthcare personnel.
Increasing Medical Education Options
The J&K Public Service Commission has been heavily involved in the faculty recruitment process for these newly formed medical institutions. The commission recently announced selection lists for Assistant Professors for various departments of GMCs. Also for other empty jobs in the five existing medical schools. This illustrates the concerted efforts being made in these universities to secure enough teaching staff.
The National Medical Commission has issued a Letter of Permission (LoP) for 100 seats in each of the two new GMCs, according to Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Director Coordination New GMCs. This permission was granted after thorough examination of the campuses’ infrastructure and staff. Dr. Sharma also stated that the campuses were adequately staffed in terms of academic preparations.
Increased Seat Pool and Participation in the All-India Quota
With the addition of GMC Handwara and GMC Udhampur, the total intake capacity of Jammu and Kashmir’s seven new medical schools would be 715. Aspiring medical students will now be able to compete for almost 1300 MBBS seats across all regional medical institutions. This seat pool has the most available seats ever.
Furthermore, the Government of J&K has created provisions for 15% of MBBS seats to be distributed via the All-India Quota, which was launched in 2022. This action guarantees that students from around the country can apply for admission to major medical schools, promoting diversity and facilitating the interchange of information and experiences.
Future Seat Enhancement Plans
The Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department has declared that the government is actively striving to increase the number of available seats in medical institutions. This commitment to growth indicates the government’s commitment to supporting the population’s healthcare requirements and expanding possibilities for aspiring medical professionals.
The Counselling Process and the Merit List
The NEET UG Merit List will be accessible soon on the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations website. Following the announcement of the merit list, the counselling procedure will begin, allowing qualified students to obtain places in their preferred medical institutions.
Creating New Medical Colleges
The Scheme, which aims to improve medical education across India, approved GMC Udhampur and GMC Handwara for Jammu & Kashmir in 2020. The 2 medical colleges are now operating from temporary campuses. The plan is to build permanent facilities that fulfil the essential standards and regulations.
The MCI authorised 400 more seats for four new medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir in June 2019. These are Baramulla, Anantnag, Rajouri, and Kathua. However, approval was denied for GMC Doda owing to problems in satisfying the necessary specifications. The building of new GMCs began in 2012, marking a key milestone in the region’s expansion of medical education possibilities.
The opening new medical schools in Jammu & Kashmir represents a significant step forward in medical education. However, It will help in meeting the demand for trained healthcare workers. As the entire seat pool expands by 200 seats, prospective MBBS students will have increased access to quality education. The government’s effort to expanding medical education demonstrates its commitment to developing a strong healthcare system in the region.
