10 new ESIC medical colleges, none for J&K; IDA flags regional disparity
While ESIC continues to expand its medical education network across North India, Jammu & Kashmir remains conspicuously absent from the list, prompting the Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu, to flag what it termed a glaring regional disparity and demand an ESIC Medical College at Bari Brahmana.
The Indian Dental Association (IDA), Jammu, has urged Members of Parliament, policymakers and the media to take up the continued exclusion of Jammu & Kashmir from the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)’s expanding network of medical and dental colleges, terming it a case of “regional disparity” that warrants immediate attention.
In an open letter addressed to MPs and journalists, IDA Jammu President Dr. Umang Jamwal questioned why J&K has not been considered for an ESIC Medical College despite several neighbouring States and regions, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi, having received such institutions.
The letter pointed out that Delhi and Rajasthan have two ESIC medical colleges each, while ESIC has also established dental colleges at Gulbarga and Rohini and recently approved another dental college with undergraduate and postgraduate facilities at Basaidarapur in New Delhi. The latest ESIC approval of a new medical college at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on June 30, 2026, has again left J&K out of the expansion, it said.
The IDA said ESIC had approved 10 new medical colleges in 2025 as part of the broader national expansion of medical education and the creation of additional medical seats, but J&K received no allocation.
“Why does Jammu & Kashmir continue to remain outside that expansion?” the letter asked, stressing that the Union Territory already has an established ESIC institutional base in the form of the 100-bed ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana.
According to the IDA, Bari Brahmana offers a “ready and practical solution” for setting up an ESIC Medical College, given its status as a major industrial hub and the presence of a substantial ESIC beneficiary population. The association said the existing hospital could provide the foundation for developing a comprehensive centre for medical education and tertiary healthcare.
The proposed medical college, it said, would strengthen advanced healthcare services, reduce patient referrals outside J&K, create employment opportunities for doctors and other healthcare professionals, provide greater access to MBBS and postgraduate education, and promote medical research and specialised healthcare.
The appeal also linked the demand to the Centre’s stated emphasis on expanding healthcare and educational opportunities in J&K. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 5, 2026 post highlighting development in infrastructure, education and healthcare, the IDA said an ESIC medical college would be consistent with this vision.
Calling the demand one of “equity, not privilege”, Dr. Jamwal urged J&K’s MPs to seek a clear explanation from the Ministry of Labour and Employment for the UT’s continued exclusion and requested the media to bring the issue into public discourse.
The IDA has also posed a pointed question: “Is J&K getting a new ESIC Medical College on August 15, 2026?”