Prof. (Dr.) Surender Kashyap Retires as Vice-Chancellor of state Atal Medical & Research University at Nerchowk in Mandi.
Shimla:
Prof. (Dr.) Surender Kashyap, the Founder and First Vice-Chancellor of State Atal Medical & Research University (AMRU) at Nerchowk in Mandi district, retired on October 13, 2025, after nearly six years of exemplary leadership. Under his guidance, AMRU, Himachal Pradesh’s first dedicated Health Sciences University, has become a hub of medical education, research, and innovation.
Since its inception in November 2019, Dr. Kashyap was instrumental in operationalizing the university and affiliating over 65 medicals, dental, nursing, and paramedical institutions, raising academic standards across the state. More than 15,000 students enrolled under his leadership, and he implemented the Integrated University Management System (IUMS) to digitize academic operations. He also initiated Himachal Pradesh’s first Teacher Training Centre, strengthening faculty development and improving healthcare education statewide.
A committed academic and clinician, Dr. Kashyap has dedicated over 40 years to medicine and education. His earlier achievements include establishing Himachal Pradesh’s first Department of Pulmonary Medicine, bronchoscopy, and lung function laboratories at IGMC Shimla, founding Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College in Karnal, and introducing postgraduate and super-specialty programs.
Dr. Kashyap’s social contributions include expanding healthcare infrastructure, founding smoking cessation programs, training thousands of healthcare workers, and conducting community health surveys among tribal populations. His efforts have improved healthcare access, raised public health awareness, and empowered underprivileged youth to pursue careers in health sciences.
He has been recognized with fellowships such as FAMS, FICP, FCCP (USA), FAPSR (Japan), FNCCP (India), as well as certificates of appreciation from the Governor of Himachal Pradesh and the Chest Foundation, USA.
Prof. Kashyap’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor exemplifies excellence, vision, and service, leaving a lasting legacy that will inspire generations of students, faculty, and healthcare professionals.
All about Dr. Kashyap
Dr. Surender Kashyap was born in the remote village of Bhalawag in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, into a large family deeply committed to education. His father, a dedicated primary school teacher, inspired in him a strong academic ethos. Despite the lack of basic amenities such as electricity and potable water, he demonstrated remarkable perseverance by walking over 15 kilometers daily to attend school. His academic dedication emerged early—securing the top position in his 5th-grade class, which enabled him to continue his education at Chail in Solan.
He pursued Pre-Medical studies at Government College, Solan, and completed his MBBS from Himachal Pradesh Medical College (1973–1979), successfully clearing all professional examinations on his first attempt. He subsequently earned an MD in Internal Medicine from PGIMER Chandigarh in 1983 and later obtained a DNB in Respiratory Diseases from the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi, in 1988.
Dr. Kashyap began his formal academic career in 1983 as a Senior Resident in the Department of Chest Diseases at PGIMER, Chandigarh. In 1985, he was appointed Assistant Professor in Medicine at IGMC, Shimla through the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission. He was later promoted to Associate Professor in 1992 and to Professor and Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine in 1996.
At IGMC, he established the Department of Pulmonary Medicine and was instrumental in creating the state’s first Bronchoscopy Laboratory and an advanced Pulmonary Function Testing Laboratory. These facilities significantly improved patient diagnostics, postgraduate training and research in respiratory medicine.
As Principal of IGMC (2005–2011), Dr. Kashyap led several transformative reforms. He successfully increased the MBBS intake from 65 to 100 seats with Medical Council of India approval, resolving a long-standing institutional challenge. He introduced new postgraduate programs in Pulmonary Medicine, Dermatology, Psychiatry, and Radiotherapy, and launched super-specialty training (DM and M.Ch) in Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery. His leadership also resulted in the MCI recognition of several previously unaccredited PG programs.
Further, he established the first government nursing college in Himachal Pradesh in 2010 with a B.Sc. Nursing intake of 60 students and introduced paramedical degree programs. Under his supervision, the state’s first open-heart surgery facility was developed, transforming IGMC into a multi-specialty academic institution. As the State PRAM for HIV/AIDS (2000–2005), he was involved in the training of over 2,500 doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers across the state.
In 2011, Dr. Kashyap was appointed the Founding Director of Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal, Haryana. He led the institution from conceptualization to full operation within a record three-year period. The first MBBS batch of 100 students was admitted in 2016. He oversaw the establishment of administrative, academic, and clinical structures, as well as hospital services. Under his guidance, the college became the first hospital in India to register a patient under the Ayushman Bharat scheme on 17 August 2018. He also promoted affordable healthcare through the establishment of a Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
As Nodal Officer, Dr. Kashyap contributed to the conceptual and architectural planning of Deen Dayal Upadhyay University of Health Sciences, Karnal, which included a 750-bed super-specialty teaching hospital.
In November 2019, he was appointed the Founding Vice-Chancellor of Atal Medical and Research University (AMRU), the first dedicated Health Sciences University in Himachal Pradesh. Despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he successfully operationalized the university and affiliated over 65 medical, dental, nursing, and paramedical institutions across the state. Under his leadership, more than 15,000 students were enrolled in AMRU’s academic programs. He implemented the Integrated University Management System (IUMS) to modernize administrative operations and initiated the establishment of Himachal Pradesh’s first Teacher Training Centre as part of a faculty development strategy.
Dr. Kashyap has authored more than 100 research articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals. He has also contributed to book chapters and editorials and has presented at numerous clinical research conferences globally. His research interests focus on the epidemiology of lung cancer and COPD in high-altitude and tribal populations, sarcoidosis (including the first case series from the region and the first global description of “ Papular Umbilicated Sarcoidosis” and community-based respiratory health challenges studies on highlanders, and ICMR-funded studies on COPD and Asthma.
His contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards and fellowships, including the IASLC Travel Award (2003, Canada), two UICC Observer Fellowships for advanced training in the United States, and the Fellowship of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS), awarded in 2021 for his distinguished academic service.
A dedicated academic mentor, Dr. Kashyap has guided over 30 postgraduate students in their academic and professional journeys, many of whom now hold leadership roles in clinical and academic institutions. He has also actively organized and chaired numerous CMEs, conferences, and interdisciplinary workshops to foster evidence-based practice and lifelong learning among healthcare professionals.
