Overview
On 30 June 2026, Jagat Prakash Nadda addressed the 10th convocation of the ILBS. He praised the institute’s role in liver‑health awareness and used the platform to outline the government’s twin‑track strategy for strengthening medical education and primary health‑care.
Key Developments
- Expansion of AIIMS: from 1 (pre‑2000) to 23 operational AIIMS, with 16 new ones under the Modi government.
- Medical colleges increased from 387 to 818 across the country.
- Undergraduate medical seats rose from ~50,000 to over 1.20 lakh; target of an additional 75,000 seats in five years, with 25,000 already added.
- Post‑graduate seats grew from ~30,000 to over 80,000.
- More than 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established as the first point of contact for citizens.
- Screening under these centres: over 42 crore people screened for hypertension and diabetes each; 35 crore for oral cancer; 16 crore women for breast cancer; 9 crore women for cervical cancer.
Important Facts
The convocation highlighted ILBS’s work on NCDs like fatty liver disease, emphasizing public‑awareness campaigns. The government’s “hardware” refers to infrastructure – new AIIMS, colleges, hospitals – while the “software” denotes policies, curricula, and research ecosystems that enable quality training.
In terms of capacity, the rise in undergraduate medical seats from 50,000 to 1.20 lakh represents a more than two‑fold increase, addressing the doctor‑to‑population gap.
Exam Relevance
These developments are directly linked to GS Paper III (Health) and GS Paper II (Polity) topics such as health‑sector reforms, primary health‑care delivery, and the role of central ministries. Understanding the “hardware‑software” model helps answer questions on policy design. The expansion of AIIMS and medical colleges illustrates the government’s approach to capacity building, a frequent essay theme.
Way Forward
To sustain the momentum, the Ministry must ensure quality teaching, adequate faculty, and robust accreditation for the new institutions. Strengthening the referral network between Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and tertiary centres like ILBS will improve early detection of NCDs. Continued investment in research, especially in liver diseases, will keep India at the forefront of super‑speciality care.