New Delhi/Bengaluru: The long-standing demand for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Karnataka has once again hit a roadblock, with the Union government making it clear that no such proposal has been approved for the state.
Responding to a query raised under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha on August 7 by Raichur MP G. Kumar Naik, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav stated that while 22 AIIMS institutions have been sanctioned across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), Karnataka has not been included in the list so far.
The minister, in his written reply, added that the Ministry of Finance has advised that any proposal for AIIMS in Karnataka would be examined within the framework of existing financial allocations, including under the National Health Mission (NHM). Strikingly, he mentioned that if the state government includes a proposal for Raichur under its State Programme Implementation Plan (PIP) for strengthening healthcare, the Centre would “be happy to support” it.
This response has triggered sharp criticism. Taking to social media, MP Kumar Naik called the stand “bizarre” and questioned why Karnataka alone is being asked to route its AIIMS demand through the State PIP—an allocation meant primarily for basic healthcare infrastructure.
On 7th August, under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha, I once again urged the Union Govt to sanction an #AIIMS for Karnataka in #Raichur.
In response, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri @mpprataprao avaru, stated that the Govt currently has no plans to approve an… pic.twitter.com/dDcNp1Fjk8
— G Kumar Naik (@IamGKumarNaik) September 6, 2025
