In a bid to bolster healthcare services and medical education in Himachal Pradesh, the state government has proposed more than doubling the postgraduate (PG) medical seats in government colleges from 277 to 597.
This marks the first time the state has undertaken such a major expansion of PG seats in a single phase. The initiative aims to provide more opportunities for local medical aspirants while addressing the acute shortage of specialist doctors across the state’s health infrastructure.
Under the proposal, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla will see its seats rise from 139 to 230, while Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda will scale up from 99 to 156. Other regional institutions will also see significant increases, with seats at Mandi rising from 24 to 79, Hamirpur jumping from 8 to 65, Nahan growing from 3 to 35, and Chamba expanding from 4 to 32.
To support this influx of students, the government has created 218 posts for senior residents and tutor specialists over the past three years. The allocation includes 63 posts at Hamirpur, 54 at Tanda, 36 at Mandi, 32 at Chamba, 31 at Nahan, and two at the Atal Institute of Medical Super Speciality in Chamiyana.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said senior residents form the backbone of tertiary healthcare institutions, playing an indispensable role in patient care, research, and clinical training. He added that the government envisions developing Himachal Pradesh into a medical education hub through sustained investment in infrastructure and human resources.
