New Delhi, Sept 02: The vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ can be realised only when every state, district and village develops, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan said today, stressing that balanced and inclusive development was essential for the country’s progress.
Addressing the third convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, Radhakrishnan said development could not remain confined to select regions and had to reach every part of the country.
“Viksit Bharat” was not merely a national objective but a collective responsibility requiring balanced growth across geographical and social sections, he said.
The Vice President said access to higher education was at the core of the vision of a developed India and highlighted the expansion of higher education during the last 12 years.
He noted that female enrolment in higher education had risen from 1.57 crore in 2014-15 to 2.24 crore in 2023-24, registering a 42.2 per cent increase.
The growing participation of women was also reflected at the AIIMS Raipur convocation, where 376 women and 313 men were receiving their degrees, he said.
Calling upon the graduating students to shoulder greater responsibility, Radhakrishnan said a convocation was not merely an occasion to celebrate academic achievement but also a moment to recognise the responsibilities that came with it.
“Today, you receive your degrees and tomorrow, you will be entrusted with something far more valuable—the health, trust and lives of the people of Bharat,” he said.
He urged the young graduates to use their knowledge, research and professional skills in the service of society and contribute to building an India where technology reaches the last citizen and every young person can aspire to a better future.
The Vice President also called upon the graduates to say a firm “No to Drugs” and play an active role in creating a healthier society.
Highlighting the role of AIIMS Raipur in advancing healthcare, medical education and research, Radhakrishnan said the institute had, since its establishment in 2012, emerged as a major tertiary-care institution serving Chhattisgarh and neighbouring States, including rural and tribal communities.
He said the institution’s growth was reflective of the wider transformation taking place in Chhattisgarh and its contribution to reducing regional disparities in access to advanced healthcare.
Radhakrishnan noted AIIMS Raipur’s achievements in advanced healthcare and transplantation, including Chhattisgarh’s first swap kidney transplant and more than 95 per cent success in kidney transplantation.
He also highlighted renal and corneal transplants and ear implants carried out at the institute, saying such achievements demonstrated how advanced medical care was becoming increasingly accessible in the region.
The approval for a heart-transplant programme, he said, represented another important milestone for the institution and the State.
Referring to the State’s transformation, the Vice President said difficult geography, inadequate connectivity and Left-Wing Extremism had for decades posed serious obstacles to development in parts of Chhattisgarh.
In remote and tribal areas, fear and violence had disrupted the development of roads, schools and hospitals and deprived communities of easy access to essential services, he said.
Radhakrishnan said Chhattisgarh had now emerged from the shadows of its past and was witnessing a new phase of prosperity, development and progress.
He attributed the transformation to what he described as decisive political leadership, strategic security measures and development-oriented governance, saying areas once associated with violence were increasingly being identified with roads, schools, hospitals, connectivity, investment and opportunity.
The Vice President described AIIMS Raipur as one of the strongest symbols of the “new Chhattisgarh”, representing the State’s transition from an era of fear and deprivation to one of peace, progress and possibility.
He said the transformation of Chhattisgarh could become an important chapter in the larger journey towards ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
Radhakrishnan also wished AIIMS Raipur continued success in clinical excellence, scientific innovation, public health and compassionate service.
He later conferred gold medals and certificates on meritorious students.
