SWAMI VIVEKANANDA YOUTH MOVEMENT MYSORE

Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) is a development organization founded in 1984 by a group of medical students led by Dr R Balasubramaniam at Mysore Medical College. Initially focused on providing rational, cost-effective medical care, the group expanded into education and socioeconomic empowerment after working with displaced tribal communities in Heggadadevanakote Taluk. SVYM operates institution- and community-based health and education projects, serving about 400,000 people including tribal groups and the rural poor, mainly around Mysore, with additional work in Bijapur, Dharwad, Bangalore, Hassan, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada. Its healthcare arm includes the Vivekananda Memorial Hospitals at Saragur and Kenchanahalli, with the Saragur facility affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, and offering India's first postgraduate fellowship in HIV medicine. Its HIV control program has been praised by UNAIDS as a best-practice model. SVYM also runs two schools, the Viveka Tribal Center for Learning and the CBSE-affiliated Viveka School of Excellence, along with community education initiatives. The organization has received national recognition, including the National Youth Award and the Mahaveer Award for community and social service.