| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lady Hardinge Medical College |
| Commonly Known As | LHMC |
| Country | India |
| Location | New Delhi, Delhi |
| Field | Medical Education |
| Institution Type | Government Medical College |
| Affiliation | University of Delhi |
| Governing Body | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India |
Overview
Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) is one of India's oldest and most prominent government medical colleges, located in New Delhi. Established during the British colonial period, it was founded specifically to provide medical education to women at a time when such opportunities were severely limited. Over the decades, LHMC has grown into a leading institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate medical programmes, and it remains one of the few medical colleges in India that admits women exclusively for its MBBS programme. The college is affiliated with the University of Delhi and functions under the administrative oversight of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
History and Background
Lady Hardinge Medical College was established in 1916, named after Lady Hardinge, the wife of the then Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge of Penshurst. The founding of the college was a significant milestone in the history of women's education in India, as it provided a dedicated institutional pathway for women to enter the medical profession at a time when co-education in medicine was not widely practised or accepted.
The college was set up in response to a recognised need for trained women doctors, particularly to serve the female population in India, who were often reluctant to seek medical care from male physicians. The institution thus served both an educational and a broader social purpose from its inception.
Following Indian independence in 1947, LHMC continued to function as a central government institution. It has since expanded its academic and clinical infrastructure considerably, while retaining its foundational identity as a women-centric medical institution.
Academics
LHMC offers the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree at the undergraduate level. At the postgraduate level, the college offers MD and MS programmes across a range of clinical and non-clinical specialities. Doctoral programmes are also available through the University of Delhi.
The college is recognised by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the statutory body that regulates medical education in India. Admissions to the MBBS programme are conducted through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Postgraduate admissions follow the NEET-PG process.
The academic curriculum follows the competency-based medical education framework introduced by the NMC, which emphasises clinical skills, professional ethics, and community health alongside traditional biomedical sciences.
Hospital and Clinical Training
LHMC is associated with two major teaching hospitals: Smt. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital and Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital. These hospitals serve as the primary sites for clinical training for LHMC students and handle a large volume of patients from Delhi and surrounding regions.
Smt. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital is a general hospital offering services across multiple specialities, while Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital is a dedicated paediatric facility and one of the prominent children's hospitals in northern India. Together, these institutions provide students with exposure to a wide range of clinical conditions and patient demographics.
Campus and Facilities
The LHMC campus is situated in central Delhi and includes lecture halls, laboratories, a library, and residential accommodation for students and faculty. The library maintains a collection of medical texts, journals, and digital resources to support academic and research activities.
The campus also houses hostels for students, which is particularly significant given the college's history of admitting women from across the country who require on-campus accommodation.
Student Life
Student life at LHMC is shaped by its long-standing identity as a women's institution. The college has active student bodies that organise cultural events, academic seminars, and sports activities. Annual college festivals provide a platform for students to engage in extracurricular pursuits alongside their rigorous academic schedules.
The college has produced a number of distinguished alumni who have gone on to hold prominent positions in clinical medicine, public health, medical research, and health policy both within India and internationally.