Ranchi, August 25: In a significant meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Cabinet approved 53 proposals related to education, health, rural development, agriculture, policing, infrastructure, and tourism on Tuesday.
Key decisions include increasing the number of MBBS and PG seats in medical colleges, developing 100 schools as Chief Minister’s Excellence Schools, connecting all 606 police stations in the state with a CCTV network, and allocating substantial funds for the health and education of girls.
Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel shared details of the decisions. The retirement age for non-academic and specialist doctors in government service has been reduced from 67 to 65 years. This change reverses a temporary increase made during the pandemic to address the demand for doctors. The government has decided to revert the retirement age to 65 years.
To enhance policing, the Cabinet approved the installation of CCTV cameras in all 606 police stations, with an estimated cost of around ₹900 million. This initiative aims to ensure the recording of significant activities within police stations, allowing for the use of CCTV footage in investigations when necessary.
In Jamshedpur, the MGM Medical College will see an increase in MBBS seats, with ₹3.93 billion allocated for infrastructure improvements from the fiscal year 2026-27 to 2029-30. In Dhanbad, the Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College will expand its UG seats from 100 to 250, with an additional ₹2.75 billion approved for PG seat increases and infrastructure development.
The Cabinet also approved the 2026 Doctor Recruitment Guidelines for contract-based appointments in government hospitals. A budget of ₹1.24 billion has been allocated for distributing sanitary napkins to female students in grades six to twelve in government schools.
In education, ₹72.1 billion has been approved to develop 100 schools as Chief Minister’s Excellence Schools. Additionally, ₹7.3 billion will be allocated for the overall development of primary schools from 2027-28 to 2028-29, and ₹2.7 billion for providing student diaries for grades six to eight.
To promote research and innovation among youth and students, the Jharkhand Student Research Innovation Policy-2026 has been approved. The Cabinet also sanctioned the VVGram G scheme for comprehensive rural development and the creation of unique IDs for farmers in the agriculture sector.
The Cabinet decided to regularize the services of 12 junior engineers working on a contract basis in the agriculture department. A policy for the regular maintenance of bridges in rural areas, the Jharkhand Bridge Monitoring Policy, has also been approved. Several proposals in road and infrastructure development received approval, including ₹298.7 million for widening a 38.65-kilometer road in Kumaradungi, ₹1.14 billion for strengthening and widening a 19.49-kilometer road in Manoharpur, and ₹568.5 million for constructing a 4.8-kilometer road in the Gola-Muri area of Ramgarh. In Giridih, ₹304.5 million has been approved for strengthening a 2.75-kilometer road from College Mor to Power House.
In Jamshedpur, ₹673.6 million has been administratively approved for the Birsa Nagar water supply scheme. An MOU with a prestigious institution in Roorkee for better management of the water sector and action plans has also been approved.
For tourism and environmental enhancement, ₹1.84 billion has been allocated for beautifying the area around the Topchanchi Lake in Dhanbad. To strengthen administrative arrangements, the Finance Department’s Project Management Unit has received approval for the creation of 76 new positions through contracts and external sources.
The Cabinet approved drafts for the Jharkhand Municipal Regulation-2026, the Jharkhand Advocate Welfare Fund Bill-2026, and the Jharkhand Court Fee Bill-2026. Construction of open and semi-open barracks in Central Jail Hotwar, Dumka, Ghaghidih, and Hazaribagh has also been sanctioned.
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