Ladakh's first Government Medical College, at Leh, is set to admit its first batch of MBBS students in the 2027-28 academic session, after the Union Health Ministry cleared a key hurdle in setting up the institution.

The ministry has granted a one-time relaxation from the rule that 80 per cent of a medical college's permanent infrastructure must be ready before faculty and staff can be recruited. Hiring can now go on alongside construction instead of waiting for it to finish.

The Department of Expenditure under the Finance Ministry has already sanctioned 103 regular posts for the college. These will be filled in stages as the college grows and its needs become clearer.

The permanent campus is coming up at Spituk Pharka in Leh. Until it is ready, the college will have to function from interim arrangements. The Ladakh administration has been asked to set reasonable timelines for finishing the campus and to tell the Department of Expenditure once the college moves into it.

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena called the approval a milestone for the Union Territory. In a post on X, he thanked Union Health Minister J P Nadda for acting on his request. He said the decision meets a long-held demand of the people of Ladakh and will give local youth a chance to study medicine close to home. He also said it would strengthen healthcare across the region in the long run.

The approval covers recruitment only. It is not permission to admit students. The college must still meet the requirements of the National Medical Commission and get the necessary clearances before it can take in its first batch.

The LG said the administration would make all arrangements needed to receive the first batch of students.