The Kasturba Health Society in Sevagram, which oversees MGIMS, is about to embrace its third President in its illustrious 55-year history.

Dr. Sushila Nayar, the visionary founder, led the institute for 31 years, from 1969 to 2001. Following her passing, Dhirubhai Mehta assumed leadership, guiding MGIMS for 24 years. Sadly, Dhirubhai passed away on April 22, 2024, aged 88.

Nature abhors vacuums. And so do organisations. They too seek to fill leadership positions promptly to maintain stability and momentum.

MGIMS urgently needed a successor who could seamlessly continue Dhirubhai’s legacy. The criteria were clear: the new leader had to be seasoned, deeply rooted in MGIMS, financially astute, and have climbed the organization’s ladder.

Mr. PL Tapdiya, a seasoned chartered accountant perfectly fit the bill. Today, he was elected as Dhirubhai’s successor.

As he steps into the role, he brings a fresh wave of anticipation and hope, injecting the organization with renewed vigour and optimism.

Born into poverty in 1945 in a village in Wardha district, Mr. Tapdiya’s journey mirrors that of countless successful individuals who have triumphed over adversity to attain greatness.

Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his mother, who, despite being barely literate, worked tirelessly as the family’s sole breadwinner. During his early childhood, he and his mother faced numerous hardships together, with no one else in the home to provide support. A lack of money made each day difficult. Lack of resources and limited access to proper schooling further compounded their challenges.

He fought all odds. Through thick and thin, he stood firm. But his academic talent showed early on. At just 21, he conquered all four subjects in the CA exam on his first attempt—a feat achieved by only a select few. Becoming a Chartered Accountant at such a youthful age defied expectations and set him apart from his peers. He distinguished himself as the rank holder in the all India CA rankings. This accomplishment is even more astonishing given that, at the time, the pass rate for the CA exam hovered at a mere 3%.

In a daring step, during the late 1960s, Mr. Tapdiya set up his own CA practice in Wardha, becoming only the second professional in the town. Despite his growing professional responsibilities, he generously volunteered his time in Sevagram. He offered to manage the finances of the emerging organization without expecting any payment in return.

In 1966, Mr. Tapdiya arrived in Sevagram, just two years after the establishment of the Kasturba Health Society. At that time, MGIMS had not yet been founded. Dr. Sushila Nayar was seeking individuals who could deliver results, and her eyes promptly recognized Mr. Tapdiya’s financial expertise.

He took to finance at MGIMS much like Yashaswi Jaiswal took to cricket—effortlessly and impressively.

From that moment on, Mr. Tapdiya blazed ahead, never looking back. With a stellar track record dating back to his arrival in 1966, he earned profound respect from his peers at KHS.

In Sevagram, Mr. Tapdiya climbed the ranks, from member to trustee, and eventually vice-president. Dr. Sushila Nayar and Dhirubhai Mehta trusted his financial skills. His profound understanding of the organization, its history, and finances made him a dependable leader. A person whom colleagues could always count on— through thick and thin.

In the past two years, Mr. Tapdiya emerged as the heir apparent to Dhirubhai Mehta, playing a crucial role in fortifying the institute’s financial base. His business acumen and attention to detail, His business acumen and attention to detail, coupled with his tendency to micromanage the institute—a style perceived as both advantageous and potentially restrictive—have empowered him to skillfully navigate MGIMS through various challenges.

These challenges have ranged from navigating government regulations to overcoming financial limitations, all while keeping the institute in the pink of financial health.

In his voluntary capacity, Mr. Tapdiya has opted to shoulder a wider array of duties and managerial responsibilities. Beyond merely managing day-to-day operations, he has assumed a key role in shaping the organization’s strategic vision and decision-making processes.

Finance has always been Mr. Tapdiya’s forte, and it still is. He’s applied his expertise in finance to many areas such as hospital operations, campus expansions, construction projects, negotiations with agencies, equipment procurement, and staff appointments.

He excels at preparing budgets and balancing sheets.

Recall Tata Steel’s iconic 1990s ad campaign, “We Also Make Steel,” or the recent autobiography by Subash Chandra Garg, the former finance secretary, titled “We Also Make Policy.” Mr. Tapdiya appears to have drawn inspiration from these examples—his role extends beyond finance to encompass a wide array of social, educational, and health initiatives.

With his new leadership, MGIMS is poised to excel in medical education, research, and healthcare delivery. Under Mr. Tapdiya’s guidance, the institution is set to reach new heights.

Yet, can Mr. Tapdiya lead MGIMS to greater success? “Will he, or won’t he?” That is the query on everyone’s lips.

This skepticism is not unwarranted. Like the 700-odd Indian medical colleges, MGIMS too is grappling with daunting challenges. Let me outline some of them.

In the past decade, MGIMS has encountered setbacks impacting its capacity to attract both students and faculty. In 2014, it was mandated to discontinue its pre-medical test (PMT), a longstanding source of pride. With NEET supplanting the MGIMS PMT, the institution lost its autonomy to adhere to its own selection criteria and secure postgraduate seats for its students.

It also lost a key feature: two assured MBBS seats for the children of MGIMS health workers, an incentive crucial for retaining its faculty.

Many new medical colleges have opened nearby—both for-profit and state-run medical colleges—making it harder for MGIMS to grow. AIIMS in Nagpur, just a 45-minute drive from Sevagram, has further diminished the competitive advantage of MGIMS.

Faculty turnover is a challenge. Senior members retire, and middle-level teachers leave. New talent influx is low, affecting research and teaching quality.

The medical education scene has shifted. Students now prioritize skills for PG entrance tests over traditional classroom or bedside teaching. Their aim? Securing coveted PG seats.

Senior residents, too, feel the pull. They’re less interested in hospital work and more focused on acing superspecialization entrance tests.

On top of everything else, a medical college must secure government grants, maintain a robust bottom line, ensure hospital statistics continue to improve, manage funded research projects, navigate political relationships, and address talent shortages.

What used to be a smooth process of obtaining annual grants from governments has hit a rough patch. Cuts, delays, or outright denials have become the new norm.

Hospital doctors, once satisfied with teaching, patient care, and research, now seek additional income through private practice—a practice long frowned upon within the institute.

The allure of money in the private health sector has led many physicians to consider leaving their current positions. They seek roles that allow them to teach while engaging in private practice, a tempting prospect for those looking to boost their earnings.

The challenges are numerous, potentially formidable, and seemingly insurmountable.

Despite the challenges MGIMS faces— and I’m not painting a picture of a dark, cloudy sky alone— Mr. Tapdiya’s appointment as President is seen as a new ray of hope amidst the dark clouds.

What gives me optimism? MGIMS’s history. It was once seen as an experiment in medical education, located in a village where students were said to “sweep the ground, clean the toilet,” and have “classes under trees.” These practices made students question their choice of college and shattered their image of studying in a medical college.

However, they were mistaken. Their initial assumptions were proven wrong as they discovered that there is more to MGIMS than meets the eye.

MGIMS rapidly outgrew its humble beginnings and flourished under the leadership of Dr. Sushila Nayar and Dhirubhai Mehta. Students and faculty came to understand that medical education in Sevagram offered much more than they initially perceived. Graduates left the institution enriched not only in medical knowledge but also in ethics, values, confidence, and skills.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Tapdiya—known for his straightforwardness, never mincing words and always calling a spade a spade—faces the daunting task of steering MGIMS through turbulent waters. The question looms: can he rise to the occasion and lead the institution to safety?

Let me draw upon the cricket metaphor once more.

As he takes his stance, will he emulate to Rahul Dravid’s batting style, mirroring his repertoire of traditional cricket strokes—straight drives, cover drives, square drives, leg glances, cuts, pull shots, and hook shots ? Or will he become an ‘impact player’, known for unorthodox shots and boosting the run rate? Will he put English cricket’s all-out attacking style—”Bazball—to its ultimate test? With the run rate surging, can he display modern cricket’s creativity — the helicopter flick, switch hit, and reverse scoop—to boost the team’s performance under pressure?

Will he follow the familiar road of tradition, or brave the uncharted path of unorthodoxy? It’s a tough call. Only time will reveal which path he chooses.

Nevertheless, we extend our best wishes for his success in all his endeavors. We are confident that just as Mike Brearley’s smartness, creative ideas, and knowledge transformed England into an unbeatable cricket side in the late 1970s, Mr. Tapdiya’s leadership will steer MGIMS towards becoming an institution that posterity would proudly admire.