Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said AIIMS Raipur reflects Chhattisgarh’s transformation towards peace, development and opportunity, while urging medical graduates to serve the country with dedication.

 Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday described AIIMS Raipur as a symbol of Chhattisgarh’s transition from years of challenges linked to left-wing extremism towards an era of peace, progress and opportunity.

Radhakrishnan was speaking at the third convocation of AIIMS Raipur, where he urged graduating students to shoulder their responsibility towards the health, trust and lives of citizens with dedication.

Addressing the graduates, the Vice President said the convocation was not merely a moment of celebration but also an occasion to recognise the responsibilities that come with their medical education.

“Today you are receiving your degrees and tomorrow you will be entrusted with a far more valuable responsibility—the health, trust and lives of the people of India,” he said.

AIIMS Raipur expands healthcare access

Radhakrishnan highlighted the role of AIIMS Raipur since its establishment in 2012 in reducing regional disparities in healthcare, medical education and research in central India.

He said the institution has emerged in a relatively short period as a major tertiary healthcare centre for Chhattisgarh and neighbouring states, while also extending quality medical services to rural and tribal communities.

The Vice President said the growth of AIIMS Raipur reflects the wider transformation taking place in Chhattisgarh.

From extremism to development

Referring to the challenges faced by parts of Chhattisgarh for decades, Radhakrishnan said difficult geography, poor connectivity and left-wing extremism had created major barriers to development.

He said fear and violence in several remote and tribal areas had affected the development of roads, schools and hospitals, leaving communities with limited access to essential services.

According to the Vice President, Chhattisgarh is now moving towards a new phase of prosperity, development and progress. He attributed the change to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.

Radhakrishnan said the long-standing Naxal threat had ended and that areas once associated with violence were increasingly becoming associated with roads, schools, hospitals, connectivity, investment and opportunities.

“This transformation is a powerful example of how strong political will, a firm security policy and development-oriented governance can bring about significant change,” he said.

AIIMS Raipur’s medical achievements highlighted

The Vice President also praised AIIMS Raipur for its achievements in advanced healthcare and transplantation.

He highlighted the first kidney transplant in Chhattisgarh, a reported success rate of more than 95 per cent in kidney transplantation, corneal transplantation and ear transplantation as significant milestones.

He said the approval of a heart transplant programme was another important achievement, reflecting the growing availability of advanced medical care in the region.

Balanced development key to Viksit Bharat

Radhakrishnan stressed the importance of balanced development for achieving the national vision of Viksit Bharat.

He said the vision could become a reality only when every state, district and village progresses.

The Vice President also underlined the importance of access to higher education and pointed to the expansion of higher education over the past 12 years.

He highlighted the increase in female enrolment in higher education, which rose from 1.57 crore in 2014-15 to 2.24 crore in 2023-24, representing a 42.2 per cent increase.

At the AIIMS Raipur convocation, 376 women and 313 men received degrees.

Vice President urges graduates to reject drugs

Addressing the young graduates, Radhakrishnan urged them to firmly say no to drugs and contribute to building an India where technology reaches all citizens and every young Indian can aspire to a better future.

“May your knowledge provide health, your research bring innovation and your service inspire,” he said.

He wished AIIMS Raipur continued success in clinical excellence, scientific innovation, public health and compassionate service, and expressed hope that Chhattisgarh’s transformation would become an important chapter in the journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The Vice President also presented gold medals and certificates to meritorious students.

Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel, Chhattisgarh Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Raipur MP Brijmohan Agrawal and senior AIIMS Raipur officials were also present.

Chhattisgarh Assembly Clears ₹14,655 Crore: Roads Get the Lion's Share, Health and Skills Follow

In a significant legislative move during the ongoing budget session, the Chhattisgarh Assembly approved demands for grants totalling more than ₹14,655.74 crore for the financial year 2026-27, covering key allocations for Public Health Engineering, Urban Administration and Development, Public Works covering roads, bridges, and buildings, and Sports and Youth Welfare. Military.com

The approvals, passed on March 9, 2026, mark a decisive step in Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's government translating its ambitious ₹1.72 lakh crore SANKALP Budget into ground-level action. Chhattisgarh is also celebrating its silver jubilee as a state this year — and the government is clearly using that milestone as a political and developmental launch pad.

Roads First: ₹9,451 Crore to Fix Chhattisgarh's Infrastructure Spine

The single largest allocation in the demand grants goes to physical infrastructure — and rightly so, given how much of Chhattisgarh's rural economy depends on road connectivity.

For Public Works, ₹9,451 crore is earmarked for constructing and repairing roads, bridges, and buildings, with priority given to flyovers in Raipur and divisional headquarters to ease traffic and reduce accidents, and ₹51 crore specifically designated for road safety improvements. Military.com

This is not just a number on paper. Chhattisgarh has long struggled with road connectivity in its tribal and forested belts — and for districts like Bastar, Dantewada, and Sukma, roads are not a convenience, they are a lifeline connecting villages to markets, hospitals, and schools.

The Bastar region alone has received ₹1,109 crore for roads and bridges under the Niyad Nella Nar Yojana Zee News — a targeted intervention for one of India's most geographically and socially complex regions.

Water for Nine Lakh Families: The Public Health Engineering Push

For 2026-27, ₹3,000 crore has been allocated to provide tap water to nearly nine lakh families and complete pending schemes, plus ₹50 crore for operation and maintenance. An additional ₹260 crore targets 44 group water supply schemes under NABARD in low-groundwater rural areas, ₹20 crore for state-funded group scheme maintenance, ₹30 crore for urban project loans, and specific provisions including ₹2 crore for the Sirri scheme in Dhamtari and ₹10 crore for reservoir-based supply to villages. Military.com

This level of granularity — right down to a named scheme in Dhamtari district — suggests that unlike previous budget cycles, this allocation has been designed with implementation specificity rather than broad headline figures.

Health, Skill Development, and Urban Transformation

The SANKALP Budget's approach to human development is structured around three interlocking pillars: healthcare access, skill-building for youth, and urban quality of life.

On healthcare, ₹1,500 crore has been allocated for the Shahid Vir Narayan Singh Ayushman Swasthya Yojana Bloomberg — a state-level health coverage scheme that complements the national Ayushman Bharat programme, with a particular focus on tribal and below-poverty-line populations.

On skill development, new missions including an AI Mission, Nipun Mission, and Sports Excellence Mission have been introduced to drive innovation, skill building, and competitiveness among the state's youth. Windward These are not standalone schemes — they connect directly to the state's ambition of attracting investment in sectors like semiconductors, IT, artificial intelligence, and pharmaceuticals.

For urban development, two new schemes were announced: ₹100 crore for underground electrification and ₹200 crore for Adarsh Shahar Samriddhi Yojana Military.com — both aimed at modernising Chhattisgarh's rapidly growing tier-2 cities.

Deputy CM Arun Sao's Message: Budgets With a Theme, Not Just Numbers

Responding to the House debate, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao framed the government's approach in deliberate terms. He highlighted the thematic progression of the BJP-led government's budgets — knowledge in the first year, speed in the second, and resolution — Sankalp — in the third. These efforts align with fulfilling public welfare aspirations and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promises from day one. Military.com

Sao also used the occasion to draw a sharp political contrast. He said the absence of the opposition Congress from discussions reflects their lack of concern for the state's development, adding that history shows Congress governments did nothing significant for Chhattisgarh. NPR

The Congress boycott of the session — on a day when significant spending decisions affecting millions of citizens were being finalised — does raise legitimate questions about opposition priorities, regardless of one's political leanings.

A Senior BJP MLA Asks the Hard Questions

In a rare display of intra-party accountability, senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar used the assembly discussions to corner his own government, alleging shortcomings in various sectors and demanding rectification. He also called for a stronger 'Made in Chhattisgarh' push, warning that Vision 2047 would remain aspirational unless skill development and industrial policies translate into actual jobs for local youth. NPR

Chandrakar's intervention is notable because it names the critical gap between policy ambition and ground-level delivery — and coming from within the ruling party, it carries more weight than opposition criticism typically does.

Silver Jubilee, Big Vision: What the Numbers Must Deliver

The budget is framed around SANKALP, which builds upon the pillars of GYAN — Poor, Youth, Farmers, Women — and GATI — Governance, Infrastructure, Technology, Industry — with an overarching goal of inclusive development that benefits all sections of society, especially women, farmers, youth, tribal communities, and marginalised groups. Windward

The state is targeting GSDP growth of 8.11% at constant prices to reach ₹3,58,293 crore, with nominal GSDP estimated to grow at 11.57% to reach approximately ₹6.31 lakh crore. Bloomberg These are ambitious targets — achievable if the infrastructure, health, and skill spending translates into real economic activity, and not merely into completed construction projects.

The Bottom Line

Chhattisgarh's assembly has approved a substantial, well-structured package of spending for 2026-27 — with roads getting the biggest slice, water supply coming second, and health and skill development rounding out a budget that, at least on paper, addresses the state's core development needs.

The proof will be in implementation. Roads must actually get built and maintained. Nine lakh families must actually get tap water. And the AI and skills missions must create the jobs that BJP MLA Chandrakar warned about — or Vision 2047 will remain exactly that: a vision.

Chhattisgarh's silver jubilee is a moment of pride. Its citizens deserve a government that matches pride with performance.