Chandigarh, May 1 -- Union minister of health and family welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, on Thursday said that the government spends huge amounts on medical education and it is the responsibility of those benefitting from it to give it back to the society. "Medical education is not a birthright, it is a privilege... You have to repay it to society," the union minister said while addressing a gathering of 682 graduating doctors during the 39th convocation at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). The event was also attended by UT administrator and Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria as the esteemed guest and former member of NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul as the guest of honour. Nadda, who serves as the institute's president, was the chief guest at the event. While addressing the doctors, Nadda said the government spends approximately Rs.30-35 lakh on each student per year for their medical education, hence, it becomes their responsibility to give back to society. While highlighting the government's initiatives for healthcare education, Nadda said that around Rs.1.5 crore per student has been sanctioned over the next five years to expand seats in government medical colleges. During the convocation, degrees were conferred upon 682 graduates from multiple medical disciplines, while 95 medals were awarded to meritorious students including 18 gold, 37 silver, and 40 bronze in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements. Highlighting India's tertiary care transformation, Nadda said, "By the end of 20th century, India had only one All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and one Postgraduate Institute. He noted that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated the establishment of six new AIIMS, and in the last 10 years, 16 more AIIMS have been added, taking the total to 23. While underlining the government's efforts in strengthening medical education, he said that a decade ago, India had only 387 medical colleges, but today, that number has risen to 820. "Undergraduate medical seats have risen from 51,000 to over 1,26,000, with a target of adding 75,000 more UG and PG seats in the next five years, of which 28,000 have already been achieved in the last two years. Similarly, postgraduate seats have grown significantly from 31,000 to 85,000, reflecting the remarkable transformation of India's medical education landscape," he said. Reiterating the institute's patient-first philosophy, PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal said, "At PGIMER, the guiding principle remains simple yet profound-patient first, patient last. Every effort in research, academics, innovation, and clinical care is aligned towards patient welfare and strengthening trust in public healthcare." On transplant excellence, he said, "PGIMER continues to lead the nation in transplant medicine, maintaining its position as number one in renal transplants while also emerging as a pioneering centre for simultaneous pancreatic and kidney transplantation." Highlighting the impact of public welfare schemes, Dr Lal stated, "Under Ayushman Bharat, nearly Rs.650 crore has been utilised for patient care treating over 2.5 lakh patients to date, significantly reducing the financial burden on families." J P Nadda will visit the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) on Friday. The Union minister will tour NIPER's state-of-the-art research facilities and interact with students. During the visit, the central minister will inaugurate the NIPER Medicinal Succulents Garden and will also visit the poster and prototype exhibition of translational research outcomes....