Women's Day 2026 | Dr. Sneh Bhargava's Rise To Post Of AIIMS Director Is A Statement In Women Empowerment
The only woman AIIMS Delhi Director till date, she is credited with the installation of the first CT scanning machine in Southeast Asia.
Published : March 3, 2026 at 2:21 PM IST
New Delhi: The rise of Dr Sneh Bhargava as the first female director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a statement on women's empowerment. Padma Shri Dr Sneh established herself in the medical profession when the education of girls was still a neglected area.
Dr Sneh was born on June 23, 1930, in Ferozepur district of Punjab into a family of jurists. While her mother was a matriculate, her father and grandfather were both judges. She was her parents' first child.
"My mother, though less educated, had a desire to educate me and make something of me. She had also wanted to pursue further studies, but her parents didn't allow her," she told ETV Bharat.
Dr Sneh was sent to Dalhousie in erstwhile Punjab and present Himachal Pradesh at the age of five, where she attended Sacred Heart Convent School until Class 10. She later joined the School's Lahore branch for her F.Sc when her father was transferred there. By the time she passed Class 10, she had decided to pursue medicine.
Dr Sneh explained that her parents wanted her to become a judge. She told her mother that both MBBS and LLB would involve five years of study after F.Sc. She took the medical entrance exam in 1948 and enrolled at Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, which was an all-girls college. "I completed my MBBS in a very pleasant environment and chose radiology for my postgraduate degree," she recalled.
Dr Sneh disclosed, "I learnt that India lacked the technology and the latest equipment for radiology studies and practicals. Therefore, I went abroad to pursue the degree, and I landed a job at AIIMS, Delhi in 1953 as an Assistant Professor. Gradually, I progressed to the posts of Associate Professor and then Professor. I also began helping new students."
She is credited with the installation of the computed tomography (CT) scanning machine at AIIMS, which was the first such machine in Southeast Asia. 'Subsequently, Delhi AIIMS adopted new innovations in the field of radiology, and other medical institutions also sought our assistance," she disclosed.
She was to be promoted to the post of the AIIMS Director on October 31, 1984, the day former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated, and the process stalled.
"After Indira Gandhi's assassination, my competitors and their supporters began discussing whether I would be appointed to the post. They said it was possible that Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi might appoint a man as Director because, in those days, it was believed that women lacked administrative capabilities and that a woman could not run AIIMS. People advised me to meet Rajiv Gandhi, but I didn't listen. I explained that I was a Professor and the Head of the Radiology Department. I had no problem working here as a Professor and Head of Department. However, a few days later, the letter appointing me as Director was issued, and I took charge. After that, I accomplished many important things at AIIMS. I strengthened the Radiology Department and promoted teaching and research," she recalled.
She maintained that she worked diligently to improve AIIMS. In recognition of this, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri. "This inspired me to work harder, and I strived to provide the best possible services at AIIMS," she quipped.
She said the urge to constantly learn is what drives a person forward. It's worth noting that she remains the only woman appointed to the post of Director at the prestigious institute till now.
Dr Sneh pointed out that technological interventions, including the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised the field of medicine. Now, a complete diagnosis can be made without even touching a patient. She asserted that despite India having the world's largest population, its health budget remains very low. She said that a lot of work is needed to improve the health sector in India.
Talking about her field of radiology, she said that revolutionary changes have taken place, and the latest facilities have become so advanced that even the smallest veins can be accurately examined, which was not the case earlier. She said the present era is that of laser, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, where a patient is operated on through small incisions and is discharged quickly.
She underlined that despite a lot of progress in the medical field, India still lags behind in health infrastructure. Proper hospitals are still not available in the rural areas, and there is a lack of awareness among the people about deadly diseases like cancer, which is often detected in the last stage. The government needs to work in all these areas, she added.
Dr Sneh remains active even at the age of 96 and even today goes to Sitaram Bhartiya Institute two days a week to teach and also to AIIMS once a week to guide the students and share her expertise in dealing with complex cases. Dr Sneh has kept her passion for reading and writing alive and keeps herself fit doing Yoga, Pranayam and other exercises.
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