Manipal, 18^th November 2023: Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence, deemed to be University, one of India's leading research-focused educational institutions, held a conference to discuss various aspects of its plans to align its academic approaches with the National Education Policy 2020. The discussion was led by Dr H.S. Ballal, Pro Chancellor of MAHE, Lt Gen (Dr) M.D. Venkatesh, VSM (Retd.), Vice Chancellor of MAHE, and Dr Giridhar Kini P, Registrar of MAHE. The MAHE leadership shared the framework for the institution's future operations and academic planning.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)—one of India’s prominent educational establishments and research centers and an Institution of Eminence—hosted a conference addressing various aspects of its intentions towards academic approaches in line with the National Education Policy 2020. The discussion was helmed by Dr H.S. Ballal, Pro Chancellor, MAHE, Lt Gen (Dr) M.D. Venkatesh, VSM (Retd.), Vice Chancellor, MAHE, and Dr Giridhar Kini P, Registrar, MAHE. MAHE Leadership shared the framework for the institution’s operations, & academic planning going ahead.

The leadership of MAHE has announced plans for the 31^st Convocation ceremony, which will take place over four days, 18^th and 19^th November and 25^th and 26^th November. The chief guests for each of the days will be: Lt Gen (Dr.) Narendra Kotwal, SM, VSM, Director and Commandant, Armed Forces Medical Colleges, Pune for Day 1 – 18^th Nov; Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Govt. of India (New Delhi) for Day 2 – 19^th Nov; Prof. (Dr.) T G Sitharam, Chairman, All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi, for Day 3 – 25^th Nov and Mr Vinod Easwaran, MD & CEO, Jio Payments Bank, Mumbai for Day 4 – 26^th Nov. The convocation will facilitate the graduation of more than 7000 MAHE students over the four-day event.

MAHE's leadership highlighted MAHE's plans to transform research and the institution's efforts to internationalise with a focus on changing the paradigm of higher education worldwide. MAHE aims to innovate and foster entrepreneurship on a wider scale. The implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 at MAHE and its anticipated results were also discussed at the well-attended event. MAHE has received accreditation with an A++ Grade from NAAC, and its technical programs hold accreditation from the NBA. MAHE's pursuit of excellence is best shown through national and international recognition. MAHE has been making considerable advancements in international rankings.

Chief Guest, Lt Gen (Dr.) Narendra Kotwal, SM, VSM, Director and Commandant, Armed Forces Medical Colleges, Pune, commented, “It is my honour and privilege to be here on this momentous occasion of convocation ceremony at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). Today marks the significant milestone in your lives as you transit from being graduates to professionals who will shape the future of health care.

As you are aware, we are witnessing a period of great transformation, both within our country and across the globe. India’s position and image within the global order today is one of a nation which is

proud of its heritage, confident of its capabilities and certain of its aspirations and goals. For our Nation to achieve its aspirations and goals, it is incumbent upon each one of us to commit to the philosophy of ‘Nation First’.”

Speaking at the Press Conference Dr H.S. Ballal, Pro Chancellor, MAHE, said, “Our founder Dr TMA Pai, in 1942, established the Academy of General Education as a society to provide technical and commercial education to all interested individuals. He was a visionary leader who excelled in multiple fields. He was a doctor, banker, and educationist, all rolled into one. His initial goal was to train those who failed 10^th grade in vocational skills like carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and masonry. The Academy went on to establish professional colleges in medicine, pioneering the country's first private self-financing medical colleges in 1953 despite opposition. Concurrently, colleges were started in engineering, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture, law, education, management, and more.

Kasturba Medical College, the flagship institution of MAHE, was the first private self-financing medical college founded by Dr. TMA Pai in 1953. It was the 29^th medical college in the nation at the time. Today, India boasts over 600 medical colleges, and we are proud that Kasturba has consistently ranked among the top 10 for over 20 years.

Dr. TMA Pai's dream of establishing a university was not realized during his lifetime. His beloved son Dr. Ramdas M Pai, the current Chancellor of MAHE, took over in 1979 and established Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in 1993 by attaining deemed university status from the Government of India under UGC Act 1956. Dr. Ramdas Pai transformed Manipal into an international university township and pioneered Indian higher education abroad. His steadfast integrity has been the foundation on which today's Manipal is built.”

During the Press Conference, Lt Gen (Dr) M.D. Venkatesh, VSM (Retd), Vice Chancellor, MAHE, said, “The legacy of our university is built on pioneering efforts of visionary academicians, professors, thinkers, and perhaps, most importantly, people who have dared to demand change. MAHE always benchmarks itself against global standards and sets time-bound action plans to achieve its stated goals and objectives. We are counted among the best academic institutions, and our strong focus on internalisation follows years of building relations with some of the best universities in the world to exchange ideas, cultures, and best practices. We are looking into redefining our expertise for further connecting people and thoughts across an international network for the benefit of all our stakeholders”.

While the institution’s top-notch research infrastructure caters to our imminent needs, we will continue to fund and prioritise research in our latest phase of transformation. The Research defines our mindset and has been a hallmark of our excellence over the years. Moving ahead, we will seek to continue our research journey with renewed vigour, using our formidable national and international collaborations to take our scholarly output to the next level.

Dr Giridhar Kini P, Registrar, MAHE, spoke about the upcoming changes in academics, stating, "We envision MAHE evolving and adopting innovative ideas that address a wide range of academic challenges and provide solutions to overcoming them. Education is at a transformational point: Teaching methods are changing, and education systems are shifting from classroom concepts to more practical, experiential learning. Today's job market demands more from graduates, so we have stepped up our efforts and refreshed our academic assessments to increasingly emphasise innovation and entrepreneurship. This is the age where innovators are valued, and MAHE aims to provide an environment where students don't just learn course content but develop an enterprising mindset. We believe this will define our legacy in the coming years and make a mark on the country's educational landscape. We are also seeing a good placement and admission season and are hopeful that things will further improve. The implementation of the NEP policy is a welcome change and will definitely help build a stronger, value-based higher education system."