Dr M. Srinivas, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has been appointed a full-time member of Niti Aayog as part of the government’s reconstitution of the policy think tank, bringing to the table more than three decades of experience spanning surgery, medical education, research and institutional administration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that Niti Aayog has emerged as a vital pillar in India’s policy-making architecture, fostering cooperative federalism, furthering reforms and boosting ‘Ease of Living’, and wished Srinivas and other appointees a productive tenure. BJP National President Nitin Nabin congratulated the new members and expressed confidence that their collective expertise would strengthen India’s policy framework.
Srinivas, born on 11 August 1966 in Karnataka’s Yadgir district, rose from modest beginnings to head India’s premier medical institution. His father served as a tehsildar, and Srinivas studied in government schools in Yadgir before moving to Ballari for higher education. He completed his MBBS at Ballari Medical College and Research Centre, pursued postgraduate training at JJM Medical College, Davangere, and later earned a Master Chirurgiae (MCh) from AIIMS, New Delhi.
Joining AIIMS in 1994, Srinivas steadily climbed the academic ladder to become Professor of Paediatric Surgery in 2011. Over the years, he has authored around 200 research papers and mentored thousands of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. His career reflects a blend of academic rigour and hands-on administrative leadership.
Beyond teaching and surgery, Srinivas played a significant role in expanding medical education infrastructure under the ESIC system, contributing to the establishment of more than 10 new medical colleges and the launch of postgraduate and super-speciality courses. He was also instrumental in securing NABH accreditation for the ESIC hospital in Hyderabad.
A recipient of multiple gold medals and professional awards, Srinivas is associated with 15 professional organisations and has received fellowships from several of them. His international exposure includes a fellowship at the Children’s Research Centre in Dublin, Ireland, after which he returned to India to strengthen teaching and training.
He took charge as Director of AIIMS, New Delhi, on 23 September 2022. His appointment to Niti Aayog now places a clinician-administrator at the heart of national policy deliberations, with a profile shaped by public health delivery, medical training and institution-building. |
