J.P. Nadda Addresses Manav Rachna Convocation 2025–26

Jagat Prakash Nadda, addressed the Convocation Ceremony 2025–26 of Manav Rachna Educational Institutions (MREI), held with academic grandeur and enthusiasm.

Addressing the gathering, Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda described the convocation as a milestone achieved through years of hard work, perseverance, discipline, and dedication, marking not just the culmination of an academic journey but the beginning of a new phase of responsibility towards the nation and society. He urged the graduating students to move forward guided by strong values, ethical conduct, and a commitment to public service.

Nadda emphasized that the graduating cohort is privileged to be entering their professional lives during the second phase of Amrit Kaal, leading up to 2047, when India aspires to become a fully developed nation. He underlined that this phase presents both immense opportunities and equally significant responsibilities, calling upon the youth to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Highlighting the transformative progress achieved under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi over the last eleven years, the Union Minister noted that 23 AIIMS have been established, up from just 6 earlier, creating a robust network of state-of-the-art healthcare institutions across the country. He further stated that India has made remarkable advances across healthcare indicators, ranging from maternal and child health to communicable and non-communicable diseases.

He pointed out that institutional deliveries have increased from 78 percent to 89 percent, while Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) have declined at nearly three times the global average rate. Referring to tuberculosis control efforts, Shri Nadda highlighted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged India’s significant progress, with TB notification increasing substantially and the decline rate being twice the global average. He also noted that Malaria related death prevalence has reduced to 0.6% despite India accounting for nearly one-sixth of the world's population.

Shri Nadda further emphasized that out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure has declined sharply from 62 percent to 39.4 percent, driven by initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and large-scale population screening programmes, making healthcare more accessible and affordable.