3 weeks ago
J&K exclusion from ESIC medical college expansion draws scrutiny
There is a group in India that looks after workers' health and insurance, called ESIC.
ESIC also builds medical colleges where people can learn to become doctors.
Many places in India, like Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana, have received ESIC medical colleges.
But Jammu & Kashmir has not gotten one yet.
A group of dentists in Jammu thinks this is unfair.
They wrote a letter to leaders asking why their region was left out.
Jammu & Kashmir already has an ESIC hospital with 100 beds in a town called Bari Brahmana.
The dentists say this hospital could be a good starting point for a new medical college.
They believe a college would help patients get care closer to home and give more people the chance to study medicine.
Indian Dental Association (IDA) Jammu wrote an open letter calling Jammu & Kashmir's exclusion from ESIC's medical college expansion a case of 'regional disparity.'
IDA Jammu President Dr. Umang Jamwal noted the Union Territory already has a 100-bed ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana, a major industrial hub.
The letter said neighbouring regions including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi have received ESIC medical colleges, with Delhi and Rajasthan having two each.
ESIC approved 10 new medical colleges in 2025 and a new medical college at Haridwar, Uttarakhand on June 30, 2026, with no allocation for J&K.
The association urged J&K's MPs to seek a clear explanation from the Ministry of Labour and Employment for the continued exclusion.
- Who
- The Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu, led by President Dr. Umang Jamwal, addressing MPs, policymakers and the media.
- What
- An appeal questioning Jammu & Kashmir's continued exclusion from the Employees' State Insurance Corporation's (ESIC) expanding network of medical and dental colleges.
- Where
- Jammu & Kashmir, India — particularly the Bari Brahmana industrial hub — directed at national policymakers in New Delhi.
- When
- The exact date of the appeal is not stated; it references ESIC's June 30, 2026 approval of a medical college at Haridwar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's August 5, 2026 development post.
- Why
- To address what IDA calls 'regional disparity,' since J&K has an established ESIC Model Hospital and industrial base but received no ESIC medical college allocation while neighbouring regions did.
Key facts
- Appeal by
- Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu
- IDA Jammu President
- Dr. Umang Jamwal
- ESIC facility in J&K
- 100-bed ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana
- Latest ESIC college approval
- Medical college at Haridwar, Uttarakhand (June 30, 2026)
- ESIC medical colleges approved in 2025
- 10 new medical colleges
- Regions with ESIC medical colleges
- Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi (Delhi and Rajasthan have two each)
- ESIC dental colleges
- Gulbarga and Rohini; newly approved at Basaidarapur, New Delhi
- Explanation demanded from
- Ministry of Labour and Employment
Quotes
Dr Umang Jamwal
President of Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu
“Why does Jammu & Kashmir continue to remain outside that expansion?”
thestatesman.com
Sources
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