Vice President addresses 51st Convocation Ceremony of AIIMS New Delhi
523 medical degrees conferred and five Lifetime Achievement Awards presented at Bharat Mandapam
New Delhi |HL
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences held its 51st Annual Convocation today at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Hon’ble Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and conferred degrees on the graduating class. The ceremony was also attended by Jagat Prakash Nadda, Hon’ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and President, AIIMS, New Delhi, as the Guest of Honour.
Highlighting the contribution of AIIMS in healthcare delivery, the Vice President noted that the institute has emerged as the nation’s primary engine of medical innovation and healthcare excellence, setting the highest standards of patient care and modern medicine while continuing to remain remarkably affordable for the common people. He observed that from pandemic resilience to rural healthcare outreach, the “AIIMS brand” has become synonymous with trust and integrity across India and the South-East Asian region.
Congratulating the graduating students, the Hon’ble Vice President said, “AIIMS New Delhi has been the country’s primary engine of medical innovation for nearly 70 years, setting the highest standards of modern medicine and patient care while remaining remarkably affordable. Today, you are graduating from an institution that is no longer merely keeping pace with the world, but actively setting the tempo for the future of medicine. As young doctors, scientists, and healthcare leaders, you must carry forward its mission by advancing compassion, innovation, and public trust for generations to come. While AI-driven technologies are transforming every sector, including healthcare, no technology can ever replace the moral weight of a doctor’s presence at the patient’s bedside.”
Addressing the gathering, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda highlighted the Government of India’s commitment to expanding medical education and strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country. “From having just one AIIMS for decades after 1956, India today has 23 AIIMS institutions, with 16 new institutions established in recent years. Similarly, the number of medical colleges has increased from around 390 a decade ago to 825 today, while medical seats have expanded to 1,25,000. Over the next two to three years, we aim to add another 75,000 undergraduate and postgraduate seats. AIIMS New Delhi carries a special responsibility in mentoring and hand-holding these emerging institutions so that the standards and ethos associated with the AIIMS brand continue to guide medical education and healthcare delivery across the country,” he said.
A total of 523 degrees were awarded across undergraduate, postgraduate, super-specialty, doctoral, nursing, and allied health sciences programmes. The ceremony commenced with the invocation and recital of the Charak Oath, reaffirming the commitment of graduating medical professionals to ethical medical practice and selfless service.
Degrees Conferred
The degrees and qualifications awarded during the convocation included:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) across basic, clinical, and allied health sciences
- Doctor of Medicine (D.M.) to super-specialty graduates across 25 disciplines, including Cardiology, Neurology, Endocrinology, Critical Care, and Reproductive Medicine
- Master of Chirurgie (M.Ch.) to graduates across 12 surgical super-specialties, including Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Surgical Oncology, and Urology
- Fellowships to 20 candidates in emerging sub-specialties such as Bariatric Surgery, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Hepatology, Epilepsy Surgery, and Skull Base Surgery
- M.D., M.S., and M.D.S. degrees across more than 25 medical, surgical, and dental specialties
- M.B.B.S. degrees to undergraduate medical graduates
- Degrees in Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, including B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing, B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Basic), B.Sc. in Dental Hygiene, Operation Theatre Technology, and Bachelor of Optometry
Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Institute conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards on five distinguished former faculty members in recognition of their exceptional contributions to medical science, education, research, and patient care:
- Dr (Prof.) T. P. Singh, former Dean (Examinations) and pioneer in X-ray crystallography and structure-based drug discovery
- Dr Shashi Wadhwa, former Dean (Academics) and noted neurobiologist
- Dr S. C. Tiwari, pioneer in nephrology and renal care innovations in India
- Dr (Prof.) R. C. Deka, distinguished ENT surgeon and former Director of AIIMS
- Dr V. S. Mehta, pioneer of brachial plexus surgery in India
Medals and Book Prizes
The Institute also conferred 18 medals, book prizes, and appreciation certificates to meritorious students across MBBS, Nursing, and allied health sciences programmes, recognising outstanding academic performance across disciplines and programmes.
Addressing the graduating students, Director, AIIMS New Delhi, Dr Nikhil Tandon said:
“AIIMS New Delhi today stands among the world’s leading healthcare and academic institutions, ranked number 6 in the Brand Finance Global Top 250 Hospitals 2026 Report and among the top 100 hospitals globally by Newsweek International. We have also continued to secure the number one position among medical colleges in the NIRF rankings and have steadily risen to rank 105 in the QS World University Rankings.
At the level of biomedical research, the Indian Council of Medical Research, over the last two years since it instituted these awards for research excellence, has named us the best institution in the country for extramural research. The World Health Organization has recognized our capabilities by establishing collaborating centres in multiple fields, including palliative care, healthy ageing, prevention of blindness, emergency and trauma care, cervical cancer prevention, newborn care, substance abuse, and capacity-building in health and communicable diseases.”
Highlighting the institution’s growing focus on technological innovation, he observed, “AIIMS has also emerged as a leader in the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, with innovations ranging from AI-assisted screening tools for diabetic retinopathy and oral cancer to AI-supported radiology solutions.”
“Our alumni today serve in every single state and Union Territory of India. They carry with them the values of excellence, erudition, and passion that we have inculcated during their time at AIIMS, and they continue to serve the country and its people wherever they are posted, even beyond AIIMS New Delhi. As our graduates step into the next chapter of their lives, they carry forward not only clinical excellence, but also the values of compassion, integrity, and service that define AIIMS,” he remarked.
