Deoghar (Jharkhand), Oct 10: Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said on Saturday that access to quality healthcare and medical education must reach every corner of the country to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Speaking at the Second Convocation of AIIMS Deoghar in Jharkhand, the Vice President urged the graduating students to make competence, compassion and character the guiding principles of their professional lives and dedicate their knowledge to serving the underserved, especially in rural and tribal communities.
Referring to the expansion of medical education and healthcare infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister 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 is essential to realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting the legacy of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Sido-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.
Radhakrishnan 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.
The convocation was attended by Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar; Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav; Jharkhand Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Irfan Ansari; Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Nishikant Dubey; Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Pradip Kumar Varma; Deoghar MLA Suresh Paswan and President of AIIMS Deoghar Professor M. V. Padma Srivastava.
