The construction work of the new campus of RGUHS near Archakarahalli in Ramanagara at a cost of about ₹600 crore is in full swing, and 70% of the work has been completed.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has rejected the State government’s proposal to set up new government medical colleges – Ramanagara Institute of Medical Sciences in Ramanagara, Kanakapura Institute of Medical Sciences in Kanakapura of Bengaluru South district, and Bagalkot Institute of Medical Science in Bagalkote district.
The main reasons cited are the non-appointment of necessary human resources, including teaching and non-teaching faculties and non-development of other infrastructure, including buildings.
The Medical Education Department has now decided to complete the recruitment process as early as possible and submit a proposal to the NMC for permission to set up these three colleges by October 2026.
Four years of effort
After the previous BJP government transferred the government medical college sanctioned for Kanakapura to Chikkaballapur, the Congress government that came to power in 2023 has been making efforts to build a government medical college in Kanakapura.
The government had planned to build a government medical college in the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) campus in Ramanagara in 2023-24, but it was transferred to Kanakapura.
In the wake of strong opposition, the State government had announced that it would start two government medical colleges separately in Ramanagara and Kanakapura.
The government decided to start medical colleges in Ramanagara in collaboration with the district hospital and in Kanakapura in collaboration with the taluk hospital, and submitted a proposal to the NMC. However, the government’s proposal was rejected because the necessary staff had not been appointed.
The same thing happened in 2024-25. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, then the Deputy Chief Minister, had directed that permission be obtained for the medical colleges in 2025-26 after the necessary staff recruitment and basic facilities were completed.
However, the NMC again rejected the State government’s request.
Due to this setback, the State government took a decision in the Cabinet meeting to open a medical college only in Kanakapura, and the government has already started the construction work.
Meanwhile, the construction work of the new campus of RGUHS near Archakarahalli in Ramanagara at a cost of about ₹600 crore is in full swing, and 70% of the work has been completed. The government had taken steps to start a new government medical college using the district hospital.
The building work in Bagalkote has been completed and is awaiting inauguration.
However, due to various reasons, including the implementation of internal reservation, the State government has not yet recruited the necessary human resources for the start of these colleges.
“The NMC has not given permission for the opening of medical colleges in Ramanagara, Kanakapura and Bagalkot districts this year as well. The main reason for this is that direct posts have not been recruited. The State government has recently given permission for new recruitments. The recruitment process will be completed soon and a proposal will be submitted to the NMC again by October 2026. By this time, the construction work of the medical college being constructed at the new campus of RGUHS in Ramanagara is also expected to be completed,” said Dr. B.L. Sujatha Rathod, Director, Directorate of Medical Education.
She said that as per the State budget announcement, proposals are also being prepared for the opening of new medical colleges in Puttur of Dakshina Kannada District, Kolar and Vijayapura districts.
Published – July 05, 2026 08:38 pm IST
