SHIMLA - 17th July, 2026
Government proposes largest-ever expansion of PG medical seats in State
597 PG seats proposed against existing 277
To strengthen healthcare services and medical education in Himachal Pradesh, the State Government has proposed increasing the number of postgraduate (PG) medical seats in government medical colleges from 277 to 597. This marks the first time that such a significant expansion of PG seats has been undertaken in a single phase. The initiative will create greater opportunities for aspiring doctors to pursue postgraduate education within the State, help address the shortage of specialist doctors across various disciplines and ultimately ensure the availability of better healthcare services for the people of Himachal Pradesh. The enhanced intake of postgraduate students will also strengthen patient care in government medical colleges, as PG doctors play a vital role in delivering clinical services while supporting medical education and specialized healthcare.
Under the proposed expansion, the number of PG seats in Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla has been increased from 139 to 230, in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda from 99 to 156, in Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi from 24 to 79, in Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan from 3 to 35, in Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba from 4 to 32 and in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur from 8 to 65.
To support this expansion, the State Government has created 218 posts of Senior Residents and Tutor Specialists in government medical colleges during the last three years of its tenure. Of these, 54 posts have been created in Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, 31 in Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan, 32 in Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba, 36 in Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi, 63 in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur and two in the Atal Institute of Medical Super Speciality, Chamiyana. The creation of these posts will further strengthen specialist healthcare services, enhance postgraduate medical education and improve patient care across the State.
The present State Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has been laying special emphasis on strengthening the healthcare sector by developing world-class infrastructure in government medical colleges and augmenting specialized human resources. The Government remains committed to improving postgraduate medical education as it plays a pivotal role in delivering quality healthcare services across Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Senior Residents constitute the backbone of tertiary healthcare institutions and play an indispensable role in patient care, medical education, research and clinical training. They serve as a vital link between faculty members and undergraduate students while ensuring the smooth functioning of hospital services, particularly in specialized departments. He said that increasing postgraduate seats would contribute significantly towards developing a highly skilled medical workforce capable of meeting the growing healthcare needs of the people. He added that the Government is continuously upgrading medical colleges with modern infrastructure, advanced diagnostic facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories and improved teaching resources to create an enabling environment for quality medical education and healthcare delivery.
Shri Sukhu said that strengthening medical education and expanding specialist training capacity are among the foremost priorities of the present State Government. These initiatives will not only improve healthcare outcomes but also eliminate the need for patients to travel outside the State for specialized treatment. He said the Government envisions developing Himachal Pradesh as a centre of excellence in medical education and healthcare through sustained investment in infrastructure, human resources and technological advancement.
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SHIMLA-17th July, 2026
Age limit increased for beneficiaries under RGSSY
A spokesperson the Employment and Overseas Placement Department said here today that the State Government has made significant amendments to the Rajiv Gandhi Sawrozgar Startup Yojana, RGSSY 2023 with the objective of promoting self-employment and extending the benefits of the scheme to a larger number of young people.
The spokesperson stated that the maximum age limit for beneficiaries under the scheme has been increased from 45 years to 50 years, while the minimum age remains 23 years. Under the scheme, the State Government provides a 50 percent subsidy for the purchase of e-taxis.
The last date for submission of applications by eligible applicants has been fixed as 23 July, 2026. All interested and eligible applicants can submit their applications online through https://etaxihpdt.org/home portal. Applicants who have already applied under the scheme between 2 June 2026 and 16 June 2026 are not required to submit a fresh application.
The spokesperson urged all eligible and interested applicants to take advantage of this opportunity and submit their applications through the online portal within the prescribed deadline.
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SHIMLA-17th July, 2026
Rs. 45 crore released to clear MIS apple procurement dues: CM
- Launches website and App to digitize entire process of procurement
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while chairing a meeting of the Horticulture department here on Friday, said that the state government has cleared payments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to apple growers for produce procured under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) during the year 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
He said that payments had already been made to growers who supplied up to 30 bags of apples under the MIS and the process of releasing payments to growers who supplied 100 bags or more was now underway. He informed that the state government has released Rs. 45 crore to clear the pending liabilities.
Reviewing the preparations for apple procurement under the MIS during the current season, the Chief Minister launched the Horticulture Market Intervention Scheme website and mobile application. The digital platform would facilitate end-to-end recording of the procurement process, from apple purchase to processing, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency.
Apple growers would be required to register on the portal by providing details such as Aadhaar number, land records and bank account information. They would also be able to book time slots for selling their produce, helping reduce waiting time and improving convenience. The growers will receive SMS notifications on their mobile phones regarding procurement and payment status, ensuring complete transparency.
The Chief Minister directed that dedicated staff should be deployed at collection centres during the procurement season to assist growers. He said that employees from other departments could also be assigned, if required, and instructed officials to complete all necessary preparations to ensure that orchardists do not face any inconvenience during the procurement season.
Sh. Sukhu said that the present state government was committed to safeguard the interests of the farming community and had initiated various schemes for their upliftment. He said that the universal carton system had been introduced for packaging the apple produce so that growers could be saved from the exploitation of middlemen.
Chairman, HIMFED, Maheshwar Singh Chauhan, Secretary Horticulture C. Paulrasu, Director, Digital Technology and Governance Dr. Nipun Jindal, Managing Director, HPMC D.C. Rana, Director, Horticulture Satish Kumar and other senior officers of the department were also present on the occasion.