The Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu has requested Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India, to approve an Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical and a dental college for Jammu. Dr. Nipun Gupta, President, and Dr. Vibha Raina, Secretary, IDA Jammu, informed that it is surprising to know that while the ESIC has approved the establishment of 30 new medical colleges in the country but no ESIC medical or dental college was sanctioned for Jammu.
On October 08, 2024, during the 194 meeting of the ESIC, 10 medical colleges were approved and on April 22, 2025, the ESIC has decided to open 20 more medical colleges to support the creation of new 75000 medical seats in next 5 years as announced by the Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, during the Independence Day (2024) speech.
Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, on June 6, 2025, said that Jammu & Kashmir is the “crown jewel” of India and emphasised the government’s unwavering focus on economic growth, infrastructure, and security. There is an industrial boom in J&K UT after the Modi Government abrogated the Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The number of industries, businesses, hotels and industrial workers has increased many folds in J&K. Lt. Governor of J&K, Sh. Manoj Sinha, revealed that industrial investment proposals amounting to nearly Rs 60,000 crore are pending in the Union Territory. Speaking at a job fair in Jammu, recently, Sh.Sinha stated that Rs 25,000 crore worth of projects are currently in various stages of implementation, with Rs 10,000 crore already operational and producing. The remaining Rs 15,000 crore in proposals are expected to launch within the year.
Citing such a huge scale of Industrial projects and investments coming in J&K, the IDA Jammu branch has demanded that ESIC medical and dental college should be immediately be approved for Jammu.
Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) already has a model hospital in Bari Brahmana area of Jammu which can be upgraded to a new ESIC medical and dental college. This will not only boost the local economy as envisioned by the Prime Minister, but jobs will also be provided to the residents of J&K. Moreover, the patients will get better medical facilities without being referred outside Jammu and the students will get an opportunity to pursue the higher education degrees like MBBS and BDS, even the specialisation at Jammu.