The Madhya Pradesh government has issued an essentiality certificate to Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, enabling the university to formally apply to the National Medical Commission for permission to start the institution. The proposal, first conceived nearly 25 years ago, had stalled due to land constraints at the original site in Indore.

University officials said the project was shifted to Jhabua after available land in Indore’s Chhota Bangarda area shrank from 50 acres to just 12 acres—insufficient for regulatory requirements. The relocation was supported by Vice-Chancellor Rakesh Singhai and received backing from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who emphasised expanding medical education and healthcare access in tribal regions.

The university aims to begin MBBS admissions as early as the 2026 academic session. Initially, the college will operate from the UIT building of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya in Jhabua, for which DAVV will provide ₹60 crore as compensation. In the long term, a full-scale campus is planned across 100 acres with an estimated investment of ₹1,200 crore.

Officials said that after launching MBBS, the institution intends to introduce BDS, Ayurveda and Homeopathy programmes. According to the vice-chancellor, the college is expected to strengthen district hospitals with specialist doctors, modern facilities and new employment opportunities, while allowing talented students from tribal areas to pursue medical education closer to home.

Meanwhile, the future of the remaining 12-acre Indore land parcel remains undecided. The state government has clarified that it is reserved exclusively for medical education. Any proposal to start alternative courses there will require fresh approval.