A convocation ceremony at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur, held on Sunday, July 26, became the focus of national attention after MCh Neurosurgery graduate Dr. Vikrant Sharma alleged during his graduation speech that his 2021 ragging complaint was followed by years of academic harassment and delayed completion of his training. Speaking before Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel, the chief guest at the institute's 5th convocation, Sharma said he had finally received his degree but "not justice."
Two days before the convocation, on July 24, Dr. Sharma addressed a press conference in which he alleged that senior doctors had failed him in three consecutive examinations in retaliation for his ragging complaint. He said he eventually cleared the examination on his fourth attempt. These remain allegations made by Dr. Sharma and have not been established through publicly available inquiry findings.
Videos of Sharma's convocation speech, in which he made these allegations, were widely shared on social media.
No publicly available inquiry findings have confirmed Sharma's allegations.
During his convocation address, Dr. Vikrant Sharma alleged that he experienced ragging soon after joining the MCh Neurosurgery programme at AIIMS Jodhpur in 2021. According to his account, he formally reported the incident through institutional channels, expecting action against those involved.
Instead, Sharma alleged that filing the complaint marked the beginning of prolonged academic harassment.
According to his speech and media reports, he was repeatedly unsuccessful in professional examinations over the following years, which he alleged was a consequence of raising the complaint. He claimed these repeated examination failures significantly delayed the completion of his super-specialty training.
An MCh (Magister Chirurgiae) is a super-specialty surgical degree pursued after completing postgraduate surgical training. The MCh Neurosurgery programme typically spans three years for candidates entering after an MS in General Surgery, and progression depends on successfully clearing the required university and institutional examinations. Repeated examination failures can therefore delay the award of the degree and completion of training.
I have received my degree today, but I have not received justice.Dr. Vikrant Sharma, MCh Neurosurgery
His remarks quickly gained traction online, with videos of the speech being widely shared by doctors, students, and social media users.
It is important to note that these remain allegations made by Dr. Sharma. No publicly available institutional findings have established a causal link between his complaint and the academic outcomes he described.
2021: Dr. Vikrant Sharma joins the MCh Neurosurgery programme at AIIMS Jodhpur.
2021: He alleges that he experienced ragging and filed a formal complaint through institutional channels.
2021 to 2026: He alleges repeated examination failures and academic harassment following the complaint.
July 24, 2026: Dr. Sharma addresses a press conference outlining his allegations.
July 26, 2026: He raises the issue publicly during the AIIMS Jodhpur convocation ceremony.
July 27, 2026: Videos of the convocation speech circulate widely on social media, drawing national attention.
During his convocation, Sharma used the platform to describe what he alleged had been a prolonged struggle for justice during his residency.
He said that although the convocation marked the successful completion of his MCh programme, it also reminded him of years spent pursuing accountability after reporting ragging.
Public allegations made during a formal convocation ceremony are uncommon, and videos of the address quickly attracted widespread attention both inside the auditorium and on social media after they surfaced online.
According to reports published by ThePrint, Sharma alleged that repeated examination failures delayed his completion of the MCh Neurosurgery programme.
He further alleged that despite repeatedly approaching authorities within the institution regarding his concerns, he did not receive the justice he had sought.
Doctors and social media users expressed support for Sharma after videos of his convocation speech were shared widely on X. Many users praised him for raising the issue publicly and called for an independent inquiry into his allegations, while others highlighted the importance of strengthening anti-ragging and grievance redressal mechanisms in medical institutions.
One widely shared response by X user @AmaanAhmad1997 read:
Congratulations Dr. Sharma Sir. You at least gathered courage to speak against the system. May you become a pioneer of our system correction.
Another commented:
Hats off to you Dr. Sharma. Sir , the System was against you and yet you were resilient, you must have been through a lot, I pray for you that you receive your Due Justice and All the best for your next journey.
Ragging is prohibited in higher educational institutions across India under regulations enforced by the University Grants Commission (UGC), and medical colleges are expected to maintain anti-ragging committees and mechanisms for receiving complaints.
Under the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009, institutions are required to establish Anti-Ragging Committees, Anti-Ragging Squads, and grievance reporting mechanisms. Medical colleges are also expected to comply with these regulations and take prompt action on complaints received from students.
As of publication, no publicly available inquiry findings have substantiated Sharma's allegations, and no announcement of a fresh inquiry by AIIMS Jodhpur relating to the allegations made during his convocation speech was publicly available.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)