Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan Addresses Second Convocation of AIIMS Deoghar

The Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, today addressed the Second Convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Deoghar, Jharkhand, and congratulated the graduating doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals. Describing the convocation as a celebration of the aspirations of the Santhal Pargana region, he said that AIIMS Deoghar symbolises the growing opportunities in medical education and healthcare for tribal and rural communities.

Key developments

Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan graced the Second Convocation of AIIMS Deoghar in Jharkhand today. Highlighting AIIMS Deoghar as a symbol of balanced and inclusive development, the Vice-President emphasised that access to quality healthcare and medical education must reach every corner of the country.

Highlighting the legacy of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Sidho-Kanhu and Tilka Manjhi, the Vice-President urged the graduates to carry their knowledge beyond institutional boundaries and serve villages, tribal communities and the most remote parts of the country. He said that the highest meaning of medical knowledge lies in service to society, and called upon the young professionals to uphold competence, integrity, empathy and ethical conduct. He emphasised that a medical degree is not merely an achievement but an obligation to serve the underserved and vulnerable with compassion and dedication. The Vice-President appreciated AIIMS Deoghar’s contribution to strengthening regional healthcare. He commended its community outreach initiatives covering malaria elimination, lymphatic filariasis surveillance, anaemia, hearing health and school health, noting that the responsibility of a medical institution extends well beyond its campus. Referring to the expansion of medical education and healthcare infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Vice-President said that the number of medical colleges in the country has increased from 387 before 2014 to 846. He said that institutions such as AIIMS Deoghar reflect the commitment to balanced and inclusive development. Access to quality healthcare and higher education in every State, district and village, he emphasised, is essential to realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. The Vice-President noted with satisfaction that women constituted 132 of the 173 graduating students. He said this reflected the country’s progress from women’s empowerment towards women-led development and underscored the transformative role of education in enabling women to realise their potential. Addressing the graduates, the Vice-President urged them to remain connected to the communities the Institute was established to serve, embrace emerging technologies responsibly, and ensure that advances in artificial intelligence, telemedicine and digital diagnostics benefit people in remote areas as well as cities. He also called upon them to champion a “No to Drugs” message among young people and commended nursing professionals for their essential role in providing compassionate patient care. The Vice-President expressed confidence that the Institute would continue to grow as a centre of clinical excellence, scientific research and compassionate service to Jharkhand and the wider eastern region. He concluded by urging the graduates to make competence, compassion and character the guiding principles of their professional lives and contribute meaningfully to the making of a Viksit Bharat. The convocation was attended by the Governor of Jharkhand, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar; Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav; Jharkhand Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, Dr. Irfan Ansari; Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Dr. Nishikant Dubey; Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri Pradip Kumar Varma; Deoghar MLA, Shri Suresh Paswan; President of AIIMS Deoghar, Professor M. V. Padma Srivastava; and Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Deoghar, Professor Nitin M. Gangane, among other dignitaries, faculty members, graduating students and their families.