Nagpur, August 28, 2026

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, joined the nationwide ‘Khelo India Samvad – Khel Ki Baat PM Ke Saath’ programme on August 27, 2026, organised by My Bharat under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to mark National Sports Day. The programme brought together youth across the country for a virtual address by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on India’s sporting vision and the role of young people in nation-building. The nationwide initiative was organised at more than 1,500 locations, bringing youth, athletes and educational institutions onto a common platform.

At AIIMS Nagpur, Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari graced the programme as the Chief Guest. Welcoming the participants, Executive Director and CEO Prof. Dr. Prashant P. Joshi encouraged students to prioritise physical fitness, remain focused on their goals and adopt a drug-free lifestyle. He also highlighted AIIMS Nagpur’s focus on health and wellness through its outdoor sports facilities and annual sporting activities. The programme provided students an opportunity to connect the Prime Minister’s message with the importance of sports, fitness and healthy living in their own lives.

Following the Prime Minister’s address, national-level boxers Malhar Sable and Raunak Khambalkar were felicitated by Prof. Dr. Prashant P. Joshi. Basketball player Pratap Magar shared his experience of balancing academics with competitive sports, while students Aryesh Pandey, Sourav Dude, Vedant Subhedar and Subbulaxmi Yadav shared their views in Hindi and Marathi on the My Bharat initiative and youth participation in nation-building. The programme was coordinated by the Student Council under the mentorship of Dean (Student Welfare), Dr. Siddharth Dubhashi.

Deans, faculty members, undergraduate students and interns attended the programme. Students also took the official ‘Fit India’ and ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ pledges. The AIIMS Nagpur programme thus became part of the larger national conversation initiated through ‘Khel Ki Baat PM Ke Saath’, encouraging young people to see sports not merely as competition, but as a means to build fitness, discipline, confidence and a stronger connection with the nation’s development.

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Shubham Gudadhe/Parshuram Kor

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