RANCHI, May 16 -- In a landmark move to strengthen the medical education sector in Jharkhand, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare officially approved the expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats across prominent state-run institutions. The development comes under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes aimed at upgrading existing state medical colleges to boost student intake and launch advanced postgraduate disciplines. The targeted institutions include the Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) in Dhanbad and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGM) in Jamshedpur. Under this new central directive, the undergraduate MBBS intake capacity for both regional institutions will climb significantly. SNMMCH Dhanbad is set to receive an enhancement of 150 seats, effectively pushing its intake capacity from 100 to 250 students. Concurrently, MGM Jamshedpur will see an addition of 100 seats, scaling up its capacity from 150 to 250 students. This combined addition of 250 undergraduate slots is expected to greatly expand opportunities for medical aspirants within Jharkhand. To support the massive influx of undergraduate students, the central government has outlined a substantial financial package split between central and state shares. The total approved cost for the MBBS infrastructure expansion at SNMMCH Dhanbad stands at Rs.225 crore, with a central funding share of Rs.135 crore. Similarly, the upgrade at MGM Jamshedpur is projected to cost Rs.150 crore, backed by a Rs.90 crore contribution from the central exchequer. Beyond undergraduate education, the upgrade heavily prioritises specialising local healthcare through a massive surge in postgraduate (PG) disciplines. A total of 335 additional post graduate seats have been sanctioned across various clinical and non-clinical departments in both medical colleges. The institution leads the postgraduate enhancement with 186 new seats across 25 distinct departments. Major updates include 12 new seats in MD Medicine, 12 in MD Anaesthesia, and 10 in MD Paediatrics. This comprehensive institutional upgrade requires a budget of Rs.279 crore, with the Centre covering Rs.167.40 crore. MGM Jamshedpur PG Expansion: Jamshedpur is set to introduce 149 additional PG seats across 20 specialised branches. Key allocations feature 16 new seats in MD Medicine, 15 in MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and 12 in MD Anaesthesia. The approved cost for the Jamshedpur PG expansion is capped at Rs.223.5 crore, supported by a central share of Rs.134.10 crore. The Union Ministry of Health has forwarded the formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) templates to the principal secretary, health in Jharkhand. Execution of these infrastructure upgrades will begin immediately upon the bilateral signing, stamping, and return of these official agreements by the competent authority of the state government....