10,000 more UG, PG seats by 2029: Health Minister Nadda at AIIMS New Delhi 51st convocation

New Delhi: 51st Annual Convocation Ceremony of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, was recently held.

A total of 523 degrees were awarded across undergraduate, postgraduate, super-specialty, doctoral, nursing, and allied health sciences programmes. 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.

Congratulating the students for graduating from India’s premier medical institution, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda said, “this Convocation is not just a ceremony of completion; it is a bridge connecting seven decades of selfless service to a future powered by the digital frontier. He said that “AIIMS New Delhi has always been more than an academic centre or a hospital – it is a brand in itself.” In this context, he emphasized the greater responsibility resting on the students of AIIMS New Delhi which has been assigned the crucial task of mentoring and hand-holding the upcoming AIIMS institutions across the country.

Highlighting the strong commitment to research in AIIMS, Shri Nadda stated that, “AIIMS New Delhi is currently undertaking more than 900 extramural research projects with funding to the tune of Rs. 300 crores. In addition, more than 150 intramural research work is also being done.”

Shri Nadda noted that AIIMS New Delhi has consistently managed to secure First Rank in the NIRF due to a disciplined culture of excellence that permeates every ward and classroom. He highlighted that in the latest QS World University Rankings, AIIMS New Delhi has surged forward to rank 105th globally for Medicine from 145th just two years ago – firmly securing its place as the premier medical institution in India and progressing to the very doorstep of the global top 100. “These recent achievements are more than just technical milestones - they are the fulfilment of our duty to the nation”, he stated.

Highlighting the Union Government’s commitment towards improving India’s healthcare landscape in the last 11 years, Shri Nadda stated that, “more than Rs. 2,800 Crore has been spent only on improving and creating new infrastructure in AIIMS. He stated that the number of AIIMS has increased from 7 to 23 across the country. Similarly, we have around 825 medical colleges today from 387 in 2014.” He also informed that the Union Government will be creating 10,000 more UG and PG seats in the country between 2025-2029.

He concluded his address by exhorting the students to become the guardians of national health. He reiterated to the students that while primary and secondary education is a birth right, professional education is a privilege that is being bestowed on you from the society. “Your mentors and families have laid the stone; the architecture of India's future healthcare now rests in your hands”, he stated.

Addressing the participants, the Vice President of India, Shri C P Radhakrishnan said, “AIIMS New Delhi has been functioning as the primary engine of medical innovation for the past 70 years. It has set the highest standards of patient care and modern medicine while remaining remarkably affordable.” He stated that “AIIMS has built a brand known for trust and resilience as evidenced by its frontline role during the Covid pandemic and pioneering role in medical innovation.”

Shri Radhakrishnan underlined that AIIMS is handling a staggering 50 lakh out patients annually, setting new standards of patient care with unmatched quality where even the poor patients are receiving the best possible medical treatment and care”. “Many countries don’t even have a population this big so the service rendered by the medical community of AIIMS New Delhi is really incomparable anywhere”, he stated. He also highlighted that the medical professionals of AIIMS has gone on to achieve top positions in reputed institutions not only within the country but across the globe.

The Vice President highlighted the impressive feat of technology and tenacity achieved by the AIIMS team this year with the world’s first live, remote tele-robotic ultrasound performed on a person at the Maitri Research Station in Antarctica. “From 12,000 kilometres away, our experts used AI-powered robotics to bridge the vast isolation of the frozen continent, proving that geography is no longer a barrier to life-saving care”, he stated. “Furthermore, the inauguration of the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health strengthens our position as a global hub for clinical innovation, where the brightest minds from both nations will now collaborate to advance brain health and digital medicine”, he added.

The Vice President also noted the contribution of AIIMS family in their having been regularly conferred with the prestigious Padma awards over the years which includes 2 Padma Vibhushan, 15 Padma Bhushan and 51 Padma Shri. He also highlighted their recognition at the global level with 56 scientists from AIIMS New Delhi featuring in the 2025 Stanford University list of world’s top 2% scientists.

Highlighting the expansion of healthcare infrastructure, Shri Radhakrishnan noted that the establishment of new AIIMS institutions across the country over the last decade has strengthened access to quality healthcare and medical education, especially in underserved regions. “The expansion of AIIMS to all corners of the country is also a symbol of integration of the country”, he said.

The Vice President concluded his address by congratulating the students and the parents for their relentless sacrifice, hard work and discipline. He stated, “You are graduating from an institution that is not keeping pace with the rest of the world but is actually setting the tempo for the future of medicine. The skills you have mastered here from AI-driven diagnostics to upholding the highest standards of clinical ethics are the exact tools needed to transform Indian healthcare.”

During the convocation, AIIMS New Delhi conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards on five distinguished former faculty members in recognition of their exceptional contributions to medical science, education, research, and patient care to 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.

Prof. Nikhil Tandon, Director, AIIMS New Delhi, Prof. Radhika Tandon, Dean, AIIMS New Delhi; Prof. Girija Prasad Rath, Registrar, AIIMS New Delhi along with faculty members and students were also present at the event.