Chennai, November 02, 2026: Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER), a Deemed-to-be University also known as Bharath University, held its 44th Convocation for the Academic Year 2025–2026, conferring degrees on a total of 5,278 students. The graduates included 148 Ph.D. scholars, 667 postgraduate students, and 4,463 undergraduate students, representing a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, agriculture, science, technology, law, humanities, and management.

Dr. Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth, Chairman, National Medical Commission, Government of India, delivered the Convocation Address in the presence of Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan, Founder Chairman; Prof. Dr. Mohamed Rela, Chancellor; and Dr. J. Sri Nisha, Pro-Chancellor. Mr. N. Elamaran, Managing Director, Sree Balaji Group of Institutions; Dr. J. Sundeep Aanand, President; and Dr. Swetha Sundeep Aanand, Managing Director, Bharath Group of Institutions, were among the other dignitaries who attended the event.

Also present at the convocation were Prof. Dr. M. Sundararajan, Vice-Chancellor; Dr. S. Suresh Kumar, Pro-Chancellor (Research); Ms. J. L. Sri Rakshika, Chairperson, Bharath Group of Institutions; Ms. E. Shri Ritthvika, Chairperson, Sree Balaji Group of Institutions; Dr. R. M. Suresh and Dr. R. Hariprakash, Pro-Vice-Chancellors; Dr. S. Bhuminathan, Registrar; Dr. M. Sundararaj, Dean (Academics); Dr. P. Sasikumar, Dean, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH), Chennai; Dr. G. Jayalakshmi, Dean, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences (SLIMS), Puducherry; and Dr. G. R. Rajashree, Dean, Bharath Medical College and Hospital (BMCH), Chennai.

Established in 1985, BIHER has evolved into a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning, offering programmes across engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, agriculture, science, technology, law, humanities, and management. Its diverse institutional network includes BMCH, Sree Balaji College of Nursing, SBMCH, Sree Balaji College of Physiotherapy, and SLIMS, Puducherry.

BIHER also encompasses a wide range of specialised schools, including the School of Aeronautical Engineering, School of Agriculture, School of Bio-Engineering, School of Law, School of Medicine, and School of Management and Commerce, among others. Collectively, these institutions provide multidisciplinary and multicultural learning opportunities, offering quality education to nearly 10,000 students from across India and around the world.

The University has also earned recognition in national and international rankings. In the NIRF 2025 rankings, BIHER secured the 76th position among universities in India and 90th position in the overall category. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, it was placed in the 551-600 band globally and ranked 82nd in Southern Asia, reflecting its growing presence in the higher education landscape.

Delivering the Convocation Address, Dr. Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth, Chairman, National Medical Commission, Government of India, urged the students to never stop listening, because listening is fundamental to effective medical practice. “Never surrender your insights and clinical judgement to technology or tools; it is human insight, clinical judgement, and professional capability that ultimately make a difference. Never lose sight of humanity, as compassion and concern for fellow human beings must remain at the heart of healthcare. Finally, strive to become a generation of competent and capable doctors, equipped to meet emerging challenges, embrace innovation, and remain lifelong learners,” he said.

He emphasised that medical education must evolve continuously to keep pace with the changing healthcare needs of society, and technology. “Medicine has undergone a remarkable transformation, moving beyond conventional physical medicine to embrace artificial intelligence, precision medicine, digital healthcare, data-driven research, and robotics. Many of these developments would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago,” he pointed out.

Dr. Sheth congratulated the university for its emphasis on research, emerging technologies, collaborations, and accreditation initiatives, as these efforts were important in helping medical students understand the evolving dimensions of the medical profession, appreciate the value of interdisciplinary learning, and develop a collaborative, team-based approach to healthcare delivery.

In his comments, Dr. S. Bhuminathan, Registrar, BIHER, said, “We have initiated curriculum reforms aligned with the National Education Policy, with a focus on multidisciplinary learning, experiential education, skill development, and learner-centred teaching. Our academic framework encourages students to go beyond the classroom and engage in innovation, entrepreneurship, community service, and lifelong learning.”

He added, “Research is a central pillar of BIHER’s identity and future. Our researchers have published 12,802 papers indexed in Scopus and 5,463 papers indexed in Web of Science. In 2025-26 alone, the university received ₹16 crore in research funding from government and non-government agencies. Our collaborations with national and international institutions, supported by 431 MoUs, continue to expand opportunities for research, academic exchange, and innovation.”

Healthcare education and service form an important part of BIHER’s mission. SBMCH continues to contribute to this mission through medical education, clinical training, research, and community-oriented healthcare services. During 2025–2026, the institution organised 41 conferences, including 28 national and 13 international conferences, in addition to 61 Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes and guest lectures.

The university published 1,406 patent applications during the year and secured 97 patents, including six international patents. The institution’s Innovation and Incubation Centre received the Best IPR Centre Award from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology. The institution also conducted 384 community outreach activities, extending medical services, health education, and preventive healthcare to communities across the region.