The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS New Delhi or AIIMS Delhi) is a public medical school, research university and tertiary-care hospital located in New Delhi, India. Established in 1956 by an Act of Parliament, it is the original and oldest of the AIIMS group of institutions and operates as an autonomous Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
| Type | Public medical institute and hospital |
|---|---|
| Established | 1956 |
| Founding statute | All India Institute of Medical Sciences Act, 1956 |
| Status | Institute of National Importance; autonomous |
| Location | Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India |
| Affiliation | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India |
| Founder figure | Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (then Union Minister of Health) |
Overview
AIIMS New Delhi serves three principal functions: undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, biomedical research, and patient care. It awards its own degrees, including the MBBS, MD, MS, DM, MCh, MDS, M.Sc., M.Biotech and Ph.D., and conducts entrance examinations administered through the institute and, for the AIIMS network, through the National Testing Agency in coordination with central authorities. Patient services span outpatient, inpatient, emergency and specialty trauma care, drawing referrals from across India.
Background and founding
The idea of a national institute providing high-quality medical education on the model of leading international medical schools was endorsed by the Bhore Committee (Health Survey and Development Committee) in 1946. Following India's independence, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the country's first Union Minister of Health, championed the proposal in Parliament. With financial assistance from the Government of New Zealand under the Colombo Plan, the institute was established by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Act, 1956, which granted it autonomous status and the authority to confer its own degrees.
Campus and facilities
The main campus is situated at Ansari Nagar in south-west Delhi, adjacent to Safdarjung Hospital. The institute comprises the academic blocks, multiple specialty centres and a large hospital complex. Specialty centres on or near the main campus include the Cardiothoracic and Neurosciences Centre (CNC), the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital (IRCH), the Centre for Dental Education and Research, the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, and the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at Ghaziabad. The institute also runs a Centre for Community Medicine with rural and urban health centres at Ballabgarh in Haryana.
Academics and research
AIIMS Delhi offers programmes across clinical specialties, basic medical sciences, nursing and allied health. The College of Nursing offers B.Sc. and M.Sc. nursing degrees. Admission to the MBBS programme has historically been highly competitive, with selection traditionally through a national-level entrance test conducted by the institute, later transitioned to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) system. Research output spans cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, infectious diseases, public health and biomedical technology, and the institute publishes the Indian Journal of Medical Research contributors and several other academic outputs through its faculty.
Timeline
- 1946: Bhore Committee recommends the establishment of a national medical institute.
- 1956: AIIMS Act passed by Parliament; institute established at Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
- 1956–1960s: First MBBS and postgraduate batches admitted; teaching hospital begins functioning.
- 1972: Cardiothoracic Centre established, later expanded into the Cardiothoracic and Neurosciences Centre.
- 1967: Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences inaugurated.
- 1983: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital inaugurated.
- 2007: Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre operationalised.
- 2012 onwards: Six new AIIMS institutions established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasth