Srinagar, Feb 23: In a significant expansion of medical education capacity in Jammu and Kashmir, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar has increased its
undergraduate and postgraduate intake for the 2025–26 academic session.
The MBBS seats have been enhanced from 180 to 200, whileMD/MS seats have risen from 259 to 277, including the recent approval of 10 new super-speciality seats. Officials said the development marks a major milestone in strengthening advanced medical education and healthcare delivery in the Union Territory.
As per the National Medical Commission (NMC), the college has been granted two seats each in DM Pulmonary Medicine, DM Cardiology, DM Medical Gastroenterology, and M.Ch Paediatric Surgery and M.Ch Urology.
Prof. Iffat Hassan, Principal and Dean of GMC Srinagar, termed the expansion a landmark achievement for the institution and the region. She said the addition of super-speciality courses would not only enhance academic excellence but also significantly improve tertiary healthcare services across Jammu and Kashmir.
“With the approval of these seats, GMC Srinagar strengthens its position as the number one medical educator in J&K and one of the largest in North India, offering a broad and wide range of courses from MBBS, MD/MS, DNB, DM/ MCh, DrNB and FNB Courses,” she added.
GMC Srinagar, along with its associated hospitals — SMHS Hospital, Lal Ded Hospital, Bone and Joint Hospital Srinagar, IMHANS Srinagar, Super Speciality Hospital Srinagar, Chest Diseases Hospital Srinagar and GB Pant Children Hospital Srinagar — has a combined bed strength of over 3,200, making it the largest specialised healthcare provider in the Union Territory. Officials said the institution treated more than 27.5 lakh patients and recorded over 2.57 lakh admissions in the past
year.
The college had started its super-speciality journey in 2021 with two M.Ch Urology seats, followed by the introduction of two DM Neurology seats last year. The addition of 10 more super-speciality seats now marks a new phase in advanced medical training at the institution.
In addition to medical courses, GMC Srinagar has also expanded its nursing and allied health programmes. Over the past two years, it has introduced Post Basic Nursing with 80 seats per year, MSc Nursing with 25 seats annually, and 20 seats in a post-PG diploma course in Addiction Psychology.
The institution also admits nearly 1,000 students each year across GNM, BSc Nursing, BSc Allied Health Sciences and other diploma programmes. PhD Clinical Biochemistry and MPhil Clinical Psychology courses are also being offered. Health experts have welcomed the move, describing it as transformative for the healthcare landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.
They said that training more super-specialists locally would reduce referrals outside the region for advanced cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and paediatric surgical care. “Expanding in-state specialist training strengthens the public health system, improves access to complex treatment and reduces financial strain on families,” experts said.
