Manipal : Dr Ramdas Pai Among Padma Bhushan Awardees

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Jan 26 : Dr Ramdas Pai, son of the architect of modern Manipal late Dr TMA Pai, has been selected for the prestigious Padma Bhushan award.

Dr Ramdas Pai has been selected for this award for his contributions to the field of education as he continued the good work of his father in developing the educational institutions set up by him. For the past three decades Dr Ramdas Pai has been striving hard to improve the quality of the educational institutions he manages. He is a workaholic and though he is 75, age has not come in the way of his activities or slowed down the pace of his work. As Chancellor of Manipal University, Associate Vice Chancellor of Manipal Sikkim University, President of Manipal Education and Medical Group, he has been instrumental in ensuring top quality medical treatment even to the common people. The father-son duo , late TMA Pai and Ramdas Pai has contributed immensely for the growth of Mangalore and Udupi as a health care and educational hubs and bring them on par with that of the western countries.

Ramdas who is a medical graduate from Karnataka University obtained his masters in Hospital Administration from America’s Philadelphia Temple University. He began his career in 1961 as the administrator of Manipal Hospital along with his father, and now is a leading light in spreading medical education at the global level. Manipal University runs Manipal Medical College, Dental College, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Colleges, Mangalore Medical College and Hospital, and also hospitals in Udupi and Karkala. Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) managed by him is recognized as one of the top most technical colleges of India. As a result of his vision and farsightedness, he has been successfully managing altogether 11 hospitals in South India, including Bangalore.

The Manipal Sikkim University which is a collaboration of Manipal Education and Government of Sikkim, provides distance education. Credit goes to Ramdas Pai for opening college campuses in Malaysia, Nepal and Middle East countries. He is the initiator of the “Arogya Card” introduced by Manipal University which has successful in providing top class medical facilities to the poorest of the poor at a reasonable cost. Through Manipal Education Foundation, Dr Ramdas Pai has been providing Scholarship worth crores to talented and meritorious students.

In true recognition of his valuable contributions to the field of education and health care, he has been selected for the prestigious Padma Bhooshan award. He is the recipient of many national and international awards and now the President has recognized his marvelous contributions to the field of health and education by selecting him for this award