“GMC Nagpur Alumni Reunite to Commemorate 75 Years and 75th Indian Army Day”
On Sunday, January 15th 2023, a rare and historic event was organized on Zoom by the newly formed Association of Persons (AOP) by Past Alumni of Government Medical College Nagpur (GMC Nagpur). The event, titled “Alumni-Armed Forces, GMC Nagpur,” was organized by the Alumni Medical Association (AL’MA GMC Nagpur), a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Nagpur.
The event was conceptualized by alumni of GMC Nagpur to commemorate the contributions of alumni who after graduation or post-graduation joined the Army Medical Corps (AMC) and served the nation through medical services. The AMC is a medical wing of the Indian Defence Services, which includes the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy.
The event was held on the 75th Indian Army Day and coincided with the 75th anniversary of GMC Nagpur’s foundation in 1947. Over the past 75 years, hundreds of alumni of GMC Nagpur have joined the AMC and have served or are currently serving the nation.
The event began with salutations to late Wing Commander (Dr.) Anant Mundle from the 1949 batch of alumni of GMC Nagpur. The event also served as a great reunion of many generations of alumni. The senior-most alumni in attendance was Brigadier (Dr.) Mukund Asolkar (Veteran) at 93 years of age and the youngest alumni in attendance was Major Dr. Vishwa (Serving) at 30 years of age.
More than 35 alumni armed forces of GMC Nagpur from all over the world attended the event. All alumni armed forces attended in their respective service uniforms, miniature medals, badges, etc. The total attendance was more than 300 alumni from all parts of India and the world. The event reunited all generations of alumni armed forces, both veterans and those currently serving.
Due to the huge generation gap of more than 6-7 decades, many of the alumni armed forces were unknown to each other. Therefore, this event served as a rare and historic reuniting event of alumni from the same alma mater and armed forces alma (AMC). All the civil alumni who joined from all corners of the nation and the world were highly inspired to see the great contributions of their fellow alumni by joining the AMC from GMC Nagpur. Alumni from the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), and Singapore attended the event.
The organizers also involved artist alumni of GMC Nagpur through their outstanding artworks as a mark of symbolic salutations. Alumni singers, painters, photographers, and poets expressed themselves through their art. The event was a reunion of army alumni and artist alumni of GMC Nagpur.
Overall, the event was a great success and a fitting tribute to the contributions of alumni of GMC Nagpur who have served or are currently serving the nation through the AMC. It also served as a reminder of the enduring bond between alumni and their alma mater and the importance of recognizing and honoring the sacrifices of those who have served the nation.
Out of more than 35 Alumni, some Legendary veterans attending the event were
- Brigadier (Dr) Mukund Asolkar (Veteran)
- Brigadier (Honorary) Dr. Gurumukh Sainani
- Group Captain (Dr) Prabhakar Dubey (Veteran)
- Brigadier (Dr) K. Gopal Rao (Veteran)
- Lieutenant General (Dr) Madhav Tutakne (Veteran)
- Major (Dr) Rajni Lothe (Veteran) USA
- Squadron Leader. (Dr) Subir Mukherjee (Veteran)
- Major General (Dr) P. Subhash (Veteran)
- Colonel (Dr) A.L. Sharma (Veteran)
- Lt. Col. (Dr) Shingarpure (Veteran)
- Lt. Col. (Dr) R.T. Saraf (Veteran)
- Brigadier (Dr) CS Bobdey (Veteran)
- Major (Dr) Kiran Vaidya (Veteran)
- Major (Dr) Milind Bhrushandi (Veteran)
- Major (Dr) S. Rukmini (Veteran)
And 20 + more Alumni Armed Forces attended and expressed their gratitude towards Army Medical Corps (AMC) and Alma Mater (GMC, Nagpur)
Proud Alumni who attended and addressed the session were
- Prof Dr. MS Rawat, 1957 Alumni, GMC, Nagpur,
[President Alumni Association GMC, Nagpur]
- Prof Dr. D.L. Ingole, 1959 Alumni, GMC, Nagpur [Ex-Dean]
- R.R. Deshmukh, 1963 Alumni, Singapore, [Ex HOD, Surgery, GMC,Nagpur]
- Dr. Ramesh Mehta, 1966 Alumni, GMC, Nagpur based in UK
[Order of British Empire (OBE), Commander of British Empire (CBE)]
- Dr. Ved Prakash Mishra, 1972 Alumni, GMC, Nagpur [Dr. BC Roy Awardee]
- Dr. Uday Bodhankar, 1972 Alumni, GMC, Nagpur
[Eminent Pediatrician, Nagpur; Executive President COMHAD]
- Dr. Mahesh Fulwani, 1986 Alumni, GMC, Nagpur [Eminent Cardiologist, Nagpur]
The event organizers and Masters of Ceremony(MoC) were
- Dr. B. K. Murali, Director Hope & Ayushman Hosp. Nagpur, Alumni GMC, Nagpur
- Dr. Vaibhav Bhanawat, Alumni GMC, Nagpur, based in Navi-Mumbai
- Dr. Sonali Kodange, Alumni GMC, Nagpur, based in Muscat, OMAN
- Dr. Mrunalini Naik, Alumni GMC, Nagpur, Based in Pune
