No campus, no transport, no proper hostels: GMC Jagtial medical students on indefinite protest over four-year delay
Students of Government Medical College (GMC), Jagtial in Telangana have launched an indefinite, peaceful protest demanding a permanent, furnished campus and basic facilities, nearly four years after the foundation stone for the college building was laid. As 2026 draws to a close with a different government in power, students say they are still attending classes in temporary structures and living in rented accommodations being used as hostels.
Foundation stone laid in December 2022
The permanent campus for GMC Jagtial was announced with the foundation stone laid by then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in December 2022. Since then, multiple batches of MBBS students have been admitted. However, students say the promised campus remains incomplete. “We have spent years studying in temporary structures that were never meant to become our permanent academic home,” said a student.
According to students, the current academic setup includes three makeshift lecture halls and three common laboratories serving multiple batches. Essential campus infrastructure — including a proper college ground, internal roads and drainage — is still unfinished.
Hostels in rented flats, overcrowded rooms and shared washrooms
The lack of dedicated hostel buildings has compounded student distress. “The hostel situation is equally difficult. Instead of dedicated hostel buildings, students are being accommodated in rented apartments. Around six to eight students are staying in a room, with common washrooms for girls and boys,” said another student.
Transport gap undermining clinical and community training
Students also flagged the absence of a dedicated transport facility to reach hospitals and field sites, which is a core component of medical training. They alleged that due to the lack of buses, not a single batch has been able to participate in the mandatory Family Adoption Programme (FAP), Rural/Urban Health Training Centre postings, or community medical camps over the past three years. “These field-based activities are mandatory components of medical education and the absence of transport is affecting our ability to meet National Medical Commission (NMC) requirements,” they added.
Repeated appeals, little progress
Over the past two-and-a-half years, students say they have approached multiple authorities — including the Jagtial MLA, the District Collector, the Roads and Buildings Department, and the contractors involved in the project — seeking timelines and a resolution. They allege that despite repeated assurances, the core issues of infrastructure, housing and transport have remained unaddressed.
Time-bound demands from students
As the protest gathered pace on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, the students outlined specific, time-bound demands:
— Completion and handover of furnished hostel buildings by the end of October, with accommodation for at least 75% of students, interns and resident doctors.
— Internet-enabled reading rooms in the hostels.
— Completion and handover of the academic block by the end of December, including at least four functional gallery-type lecture theatres and a Central Library with adequate reading-room seating.
FAIMA backs protest, questions approvals without facilities
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has extended support to the protesting students and raised concerns about the adequacy of infrastructure at newly established medical colleges. FAIMA questioned how colleges could continue admitting MBBS batches without permanent buildings, proper hostels, lecture theatres, laboratories, transport and other essential facilities, and whether statutory checks are being enforced.
“If permissions are being granted without adequate physical inspection and verification of facilities, what purpose do NMC’s Minimum Standard Requirements serve?” FAIMA asked.
What’s at stake
The prolonged delay at GMC Jagtial has disrupted academic schedules and field-based learning, with students alleging non-compliance risks vis-à-vis the NMC’s mandated training components. With core infrastructure still incomplete, the students say they will maintain their protest until time-bound commitments are met and essential facilities are functional.
Authorities named by the students as having been approached for redressal have yet to publicly announce firm timelines for completion and handover of the campus, hostels and transport arrangements.
Conclusion
The GMC Jagtial students’ protest underscores wider concerns about the pace of infrastructure development at new medical colleges and the impact on academic quality. As students press for hostels by the end of October and an academic block by December, the outcome will test the implementation of standards that govern medical education and the accountability mechanisms meant to uphold them.
