MAHATMA GANDHI INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS) is India's first rural medical college, located in Sevagram, Maharashtra. Established in 1969 during the Gandhi centenary year by Dr. Sushila Nayyar, it is managed by the Kasturba Health Society. Initially affiliated with Nagpur University until 1997, it has been affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik, since 1998. The institute offers MBBS (100 seats annually), MD/MS, and diploma courses in medicine and surgery, with admissions based on NEET-UG and NEET-PG since 2017. It operates the Kasturba Hospital, a nearly 1000-bed teaching hospital providing tertiary care to rural patients, handling thousands of patient visits daily. MGIMS conducts research in maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and traditional medicine, and leads State Level Monitoring of ICDS activities in Maharashtra. The institute follows Gandhian principles, requiring students and staff to wear khadi, practice vegetarianism, and abstain from alcohol. Students participate in orientation camps, social service camps in villages, and the Re-Orientation to Medical Education (ROME) camp for rural health training. Notable alumni include cardiologist K.K. Aggarwal and Harvard Medical School professor Mandeep R. Mehra.