Dr Priti Adani Presides Over Adani Institute of Higher Education's Convocation; Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Conferred Honorary D.Litt.

Wardha/Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) degree on Saturday at the 17th convocation of the Adani Institute of Higher Education and Research (AIHER), a deemed-to-be university in Wardha. The ceremony, the first since the institution was renamed from Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DMIHER), was presided over by Chancellor Dr Priti Adani, who is also Chairperson of the Adani Foundation.

Dr Abhijat Sheth, Chairperson of the National Medical Commission, received an Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his contributions to medical education, healthcare governance and public health.

The university conferred 2,320 degrees across 10 faculties, including 123 Ph.Ds. Academic honours comprised 123 gold medals, seven silver medals and 13 other prizes, presented to 83 awardees. Poojal Devidas Mapari of Datta Meghe Medical College stood out by receiving 23 medals for outstanding academic achievement.

Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis stressed the importance of social responsibility. 

“It is society that created the institution through which you could graduate. That is why there is always a time to give back. The definition of success is not how much money you earn. The definition of success is how much you can give back,” he said.

In a lighter vein, the Chief Minister added, “When I look at all these PhD holders, I thank God I did not have to do all the hard work they did to earn the Ph.D.”

Dr Priti Adani described the occasion as a milestone for the university community. 

“Today is a proud moment for our university community. For our students, their families and teachers, it marks the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. We also remember the late Shri Datta Meghe, whose vision shaped this institution and whose contributions to education and healthcare continues to be part of its legacy,” she said.

In her full address, she paid tribute to the late founder Chancellor Datta Meghe and highlighted the institution’s shared commitment with the Adani Foundation to service, guided by the principle “Seva hi sadhana hai” (Service is a path of devotion). She outlined plans to strengthen hospital infrastructure, expand research focused on community needs such as prevention, early diagnosis and maternal and child health, and develop additional campuses across India while keeping Wardha and Nagpur central to the university’s growth.

Dr Pankaj Rajesh Bhoyar, Minister of State in the Maharashtra government and Guardian Minister of Wardha and Bhandara districts, attended as a Guest of Honour. Other dignitaries present included Dr Malay Mahadevia, Treasurer; Sagar Meghe, Trustee; and Dr Lalitbhushan Waghmare, Vice-Chancellor.

Located at Sawangi Meghe in Wardha, about 80 km from Nagpur, AIHER is a multidisciplinary institution guided by the motto “Learn and Lead.” It has grown from an initial cohort of 100 medical students to more than 14,000 students enrolled in over 260 programmes spanning medical, dental, Ayurvedic, physiotherapy, nursing, allied health, pharmaceutical, engineering and allied sciences. The university holds an A++ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and established its first off-campus college in Nagpur in 2019.

Its constituent institutions include Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Medical College, Sharad Pawar Dental College, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College and Research Centre, Ravi Nair Physiotherapy College, Smt Radhikabai Meghe Memorial College of Nursing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Datta Meghe College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, and School of Allied Sciences.

The campus offers a self-sustaining, green environment well connected by road, rail and air via Nagpur.