Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda has agreed to the proposal to upgrade the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said following his meeting with the Union minister in New Delhi.

The Chief Minister announced the development in a social media post after meeting Nadda on August 31. He said the Union minister had agreed to upgrade RIMS to AIIMS status, a move that could significantly strengthen tertiary healthcare, medical education, specialist treatment, research and postgraduate training in Manipur.

Established in 1972, RIMS is one of the major medical institutions serving Manipur and the wider northeastern region. The institute currently provides undergraduate and postgraduate medical education along with specialised healthcare services and serves patients from across the Northeast.

The proposed AIIMS-level upgrade is expected to bring greater institutional capacity and strengthen advanced medical services, while potentially expanding opportunities for medical research and specialised training. The move could also reduce the need for patients from Manipur and neighbouring northeastern states to travel outside the region for complex treatments.

During the meeting, Nadda also agreed to the establishment of a new medical college in Senapati district, according to the Manipur government. The proposed institution is aimed at expanding access to medical education and strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the state’s hill districts.

The new medical college would add to Manipur’s medical education infrastructure and is expected to improve the availability of trained healthcare professionals and specialist services in areas outside the state capital.

The proposal comes as the state seeks to expand healthcare infrastructure and improve access to advanced treatment across geographically challenging areas. Senapati’s proposed medical college is also expected to serve surrounding districts and communities.

The announcement is particularly significant because the Centre had stated in Parliament in March 2025 that there was no proposal at that time to establish a new AIIMS in Manipur and that the AIIMS Act, 1956 did not provide for upgrading an existing institution such as RIMS into an AIIMS.

The latest development therefore marks a potential change in the Centre’s earlier position. Formal administrative and institutional procedures will be required before the proposed upgrade can be implemented.

The Manipur government is expected to coordinate with the Union Health Ministry on the next steps concerning the proposed RIMS-to-AIIMS upgrade, including institutional restructuring, infrastructure requirements and other regulatory formalities.

The two proposed initiatives — upgrading RIMS Imphal to AIIMS status and establishing a medical college in Senapati — could significantly expand Manipur’s capacity for advanced healthcare, medical education and research, while strengthening the state’s role as a healthcare hub for the Northeast.