SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has released state-wise data on MBBS seats for the academic year 2024-25, revealing a significant boost in medical education capacity in Jammu and Kashmir and the long-awaited inclusion of Ladakh.
According to the data, Jammu and Kashmir has seen its MBBS seat capacity increase from 1,135 in 2020-21 to 1,385 in 2024-25, adding 250 new seats over five years. The Union Territory of Ladakh, which had no medical college until now, has been allotted 100 MBBS seats for the first time.
The region had long demanded a Medical College to address the shortage of doctors and improve healthcare infrastructure in the high-altitude Himalayan territory.
Officials say the increase in Jammu and Kashmir’s seat count is the result of both the establishment of new medical colleges and the expansion of existing institutions under centrally sponsored schemes.
“This is a major step towards strengthening the healthcare system and addressing the doctor-patient ratio in both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” a senior health official said.
In terms of total MBBS seats for the academic year 2024–25, Jammu and Kashmir ranks around 21st among all Indian states and Union Territories, with 1,385 seats.
This places it in the mid-tier range higher than smaller or north-eastern states like Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, but significantly behind leading states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.