Haryana’s BPS Government Medical College becomes first Indian college to win international innovation prize

The IMU-Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award celebrates creative work in teaching and learning for medical students. Its purpose is to encourage innovation and recognise academics whose useful ideas might otherwise go unnoticed. The award was instituted in 2008.

BPS Government Medical College for Women won the 2026 award for NEST, its student leadership programme. The programme trained students to lead projects on community health issues. This shows that innovation in medical education can include leadership development, not only classroom teaching or clinical instruction.

The 2026 award was presented at the 19th International Medical Education Conference at IMU University in Kuala Lumpur. BPSGMC’s win was the first by an Indian college, while earlier winners came from Hong Kong, Malaysia, the U.K., the U.S. and Pakistan. The recognition brings attention to NEST and its student-led work.

BPS Government Medical College for Women in Khanpur Kalan won the IMU-Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award 2026. The winning work was NEST, or Network of Student Leaders, a programme focused on developing medical students as leaders. The award recognises innovation in medical education.

Dr. Sumita Sethi received the award and presented the work at the 19th International Medical Education Conference in Kuala Lumpur. She represented a college team that also included Dr. Renu Garg and Dr. Ruchi Agarwal. NEST trained students and supported them in leading community-health projects.

The achievement is historic because this was the first time an Indian college won the award. Dr. Sethi said the rolling trophy had come to India for the first time since the award was instituted in 2008. Previous winners included colleges in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the U.K., the U.S. and Pakistan.

NEST is BPS Government Medical College for Women’s student leadership programme. Its full name is Network of Student Leaders. The programme adds leadership training to medical education and gives students a role in responding to health concerns beyond their regular studies.

The programme’s mechanism is practical. Students receive leadership training and then lead projects focused on community health. The article reports that 278 medical students from 11 colleges across India took part. Together, they led 63 projects dealing with issues such as menstrual hygiene, cervical cancer awareness, child marriage and drug abuse.

NEST received the 2026 IMU-Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award. The recognition highlights how the programme connects student development with community action. It also shows the contribution of Dr. Renu Garg and Dr. Ruchi Agarwal, whom Dr. Sumita Sethi identified as NEST’s core faculty alongside her.

NEST operated across a substantial student network. The programme trained 278 medical students from 11 colleges across India. These figures show that it was not limited to one campus or a small local activity, even though the programme was associated with BPS Government Medical College for Women.

The key mechanism was training followed by action. After receiving leadership training, the students went on to lead 63 projects. Their work focused on community health concerns, allowing the programme to connect medical education with issues affecting people outside the college. The article does not provide separate figures for each college or project.

These numbers formed the basis of the work recognised by the IMU-Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award 2026. The scale also helps explain why the achievement attracted attention beyond Haryana. NEST linked students from 11 colleges with practical projects and brought an Indian innovation to an international medical education platform.

NEST students led projects on several community health problems named in the article. These included menstrual hygiene, cervical cancer awareness, child marriage and drug abuse. The topics cover health information, prevention and serious social concerns linked to people’s wellbeing.

The programme’s key mechanism was student leadership. After receiving training, medical students moved from learning to leading projects that addressed these issues. This gave them a structured way to apply their knowledge and organise responses around concerns in communities. The article does not provide individual project results or explain how each project was delivered.

The work was part of a larger effort involving 278 students from 11 colleges across India and 63 projects. Its recognition with the IMU-Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award shows that the programme’s community focus was considered an important educational innovation. The projects also demonstrate the range of concerns medical students can address through organised leadership.

Training medical students as leaders can help them carry health knowledge into organised community action. Leadership gives students practice in identifying concerns, bringing people together and guiding projects. In NEST, this approach connected student development with issues affecting communities.

The programme offers a concrete example. After leadership training, 278 students from 11 colleges led 63 projects. Their topics included menstrual hygiene, cervical cancer awareness, child marriage and drug abuse. The article does not measure changes in awareness or health outcomes, but it shows that students were given responsibility for addressing these concerns through projects.

This model can strengthen problem-solving by making students active contributors rather than only recipients of instruction. NEST’s award suggests that this connection between education and community work is valued as an innovation. Its reach across India also provides a foundation for continuing student-led responses to local health issues.

Leadership training matters because medical education is not limited to learning science and clinical skills. Students also need experience taking responsibility for health-related work. Leadership programmes can provide that experience by helping students organise people, focus on problems and move from ideas to action.

NEST illustrates this connection. Its students received leadership training and then led projects on menstrual hygiene, cervical cancer awareness, child marriage and drug abuse. In total, 278 students from 11 colleges led 63 community-health projects. The article does not report measured outcomes, but it shows a clear educational pathway from training to practical work.

This approach broadens what medical students can contribute during their education. It also makes learning visibly relevant to communities. NEST’s 2026 international award recognises that leadership development can itself be an innovation in medical education. The programme’s reach suggests that similar student-led work can connect colleges with community health needs.