AIIMS Raipur symbolises Chhattisgarh’s journey from the fear of Left-Wing Extremism to peace, progress and opportunity: Vice President

The 3rd Convocation of AIIMS Raipur on September 2, 2026, addressed by Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, represents a powerful convergence of healthcare excellence, regional transformation, and national development vision. Established in 2012 under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) — a scheme launched in 2003 to correct regional imbalances in tertiary healthcare — AIIMS Raipur was one of six AIIMS-like institutions sanctioned in Phase I to address the acute deficit of super-specialty care in underserved states. Its journey from inception to becoming a hub for complex procedures like swap kidney transplants (first in Chhattisgarh), corneal and renal transplants, cochlear implants, and now an approved heart transplant programme, mirrors the larger arc of Chhattisgarh’s transition from a Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected region to a model of development-oriented governance. For decades, parts of Chhattisgarh — particularly the Bastar division — suffered from the dual burden of difficult terrain and Naxalite insurgency, which disrupted infrastructure, deterred investment, and isolated tribal communities from essential services. The Vice President’s reference to the "decisive leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai underscores a coordinated Centre-State strategy combining security operations (like Operation Prahar), infrastructure push (roads, railways, mobile connectivity), and saturation of welfare schemes under the Aspirational Districts Programme. This aligns with Article 355 of the Constitution, which mandates the Union to protect States from internal disturbance, and Article 282, enabling grants for public purpose — both invoked in LWE-affected areas. The convocation data — 376 women versus 313 men receiving degrees — is a microcosm of a national trend: female enrolment in higher education rose 42.2% from 1.57 crore (2014-15) to 2.24 crore (2023-24), per AISHE reports. This reflects the impact of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, scholarship schemes, and reservation policies, advancing gender parity in STEM and medical fields — critical for achieving SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). AIIMS Raipur’s evolution also embodies the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, where balanced regional development, last-mile healthcare delivery, and technology-driven inclusion are pillars. The institute serves not just Chhattisgarh but neighbouring Odisha, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and referral burdens on AIIMS Delhi — a direct contribution to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under Ayushman Bharat. Future implications are profound: as AIIMS Raipur scales up organ transplants and research, it could become a regional hub for medical innovation, attracting public-private partnerships and clinical trials. Its success may catalyse similar transformations in other LWE-affected regions like Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) or parts of Andhra-Odisha border. For aspirants, this case study integrates health policy, internal security, federalism, gender statistics, and development economics — a quintessential UPSC/State PSC interdisciplinary topic.