Dr Ramdas Pai at 90: A legacy beyond borders

Ninety years. For most, it is simply time passing. For some, a personal milestone. But for a rare few, those years turn into something far larger — a legacy, a story etched into history itself. Dr Ramdas Madhav Pai, our beloved Chancellor and Padma Bhushan awardee, who is celebrating his 90th birthday on September 17, belongs unmistakably in that rare company.

Birthdays are very personal events and intimate moments. But in the case of Dr Pai, this day is less about a personal milestone and more about what it represents for countless others. It is a moment to reflect on a story shaped by grit, courage, and unyielding ambition.

Imprint of vision

Manipal — the global institution we know today — stands as living proof of the belief that education and healthcare can transform not just individual lives but entire societies. And so, it is students, alumni, patients, and colleagues who turn the day into a celebration, each of them bearing witness to the imprint of
his vision.

Long before globalisation became a buzzword, Dr Pai not only thought of education beyond borders but also acted upon it. Nearly three decades ago, he led the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in establishing campuses in Dubai, Malaysia, Nepal, and Antigua.

They were not satellite outposts; they stood as luminous laboratories of cultural exchange, each one an assertion that wisdom flourishes without borders. Imagine the audacity to think in an era when most educational institutions were content with staying local. What made him dream big?

Dreams alone do not build empires. As the Yoga Vasistha — an ancient philosophical work whose insights extend into ethics, decision-making, and governance — reminds us: Dhrudhanishchayath Siddhihi — true accomplishment springs from unwavering conviction.

Establishing offshore campuses was never a simple endeavour. Wading through the complexities of regulations, diverse academic practices, and cultural traditions required more than management or administrative skill — it called for a moral
compass.

Here lay the essence of his genius: an uncompromising fidelity to principles that are as rare as they are timeless — honesty, integrity, equality, and justice. It was this moral framework that preserved Manipal’s international stature, allowing it to rise not as a transactional brand but as a principled presence on the world stage.

Leadership style

In an age where convenience so often eclipses conscience, Dr Pai reiterated the age-old wisdom that lasting global institutions were not shaped by opportunism but forged in the crucible of steadfast
values.

Dr Ramdas Pai’s success rested on a leadership style that thrived in paradox. He could be tough, yet deeply compassionate; visionary, yet strikingly pragmatic; disciplined, yet open and flexible; authoritative, yet disarmingly humble.

The balance called to mind the timeless Sanskrit maxim: Vajradapi Kathorani Mrudooni Kusumadapi — the hearts of the wise can be harder than a diamond, yet softer than a flower’s petal.

Perhaps it is no accident that Manipal lies only a few kilometres from Udupi, the sacred seat of Sri Madhvacharya, the philosopher who gave the world Dvaitha Siddhanta — the doctrine of dualism. Strength and gentleness. Courage and kindness.

In his leadership, these qualities did not clash; they complemented one another. That duality shaped more than an institution — it shaped its culture.

A culture where collaboration outweighed competition, where listening mattered as much as leading, and where trust grew because micromanagement never took root.

In that space, people found both freedom and responsibility, and teams learned to make bold decisions on their own.

Legacy, a powerful statement

Dr Pai’s famed firm handshake is more than a greeting; it is a symbol of trust, a contract of camaraderie that made every colleague feel like a vital member of a global mission.

It is this spirit that fostered work environments within the Manipal group, often compared to the finest traditions of the armed forces and the public sector: process-oriented, policy-driven, and value-based, yet open, flexible, and communicative.

As we celebrate nine decades of Dr Ramdas Pai’s life, his journey offers a critical lesson for India’s future in education. The internationalisation of higher education cannot be a transactional process of exporting degrees.

It must be a transformative mission, built on a bedrock of integrity, driven by a social conscience, and led by individuals who possess the courage to make hard decisions and the heart to empower others.

Dr Pai’s legacy is a powerful testament to the idea that when values lead the way, borders merely become new horizons to illuminate.

(The writer is the Vice Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education and former Dean of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune).