Dr. Thumbay Moideen conferred the New Year Award 2026 by MAHE
Recognised for global contributions to Education, Healthcare, and Research
Manipal: Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder and President of the UAE-based Thumbay Group, was conferred with the New Year Award on Saturday, January 10.
The award was jointly instituted by the Academy of General Education (AGE), Manipal, in collaboration with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), MEMG India Pvt. Ltd., Manipal Media Network Ltd., and the Dr. TMA Pai Foundation.
The award recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to society, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, research, and community development. Instituted to honor distinguished personalities with roots in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, the New Year Award acknowledges leadership that has created sustained social impact.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen has been chosen in recognition of his role in building an integrated global ecosystem spanning healthcare delivery, medical education, research, diagnostics, and community service. He founded the Thumbay Group in 1997 and later established Gulf Medical University, expanding operations to include academic hospitals and healthcare institutions across the Middle East and other regions.
Through his initiatives, Dr. Moideen has focused on improving access to quality healthcare and education while fostering international academic and medical collaborations.
Thumbay Group institutions today cater to students and healthcare professionals from over 100 nationalities, contributing to workforce development and research-driven healthcare practices.
Widely recognised as one of the most influential Non-Resident Indians in the Gulf, Dr. Thumbay Moideen has also emerged as a globally respected voice from the Beary community and a leading Muslim entrepreneur and educationist. His journey from coastal Karnataka to establishing world-class institutions across the Middle East and beyond reflects the strength of diaspora leadership grounded in service, values, and a deep sense of social responsibility.
Accepting the honour, Dr. Thumbay Moideen said, “This recognition from institutions that have shaped generations of professionals is deeply meaningful to me. Manipal has always stood for knowledge with purpose. I see this award not as a personal milestone, but as a reflection of what committed teams and value-driven institutions can build together for society.”
Over the past decades, Dr. Thumbay Moideen has steered the expansion of the Thumbay Group into a diversified, multi-sector organisation with a strong focus on academic medicine, research-led healthcare, and global education. His initiatives have created opportunities for thousands of healthcare professionals and students representing more than 111 nationalities, while also strengthening healthcare delivery systems and academic collaboration across regions.
The New Year Award 2026 adds to a growing list of national and international honors recognizing Dr. Thumbay Moideen’s sustained contributions to institution-building, the advancement of healthcare, and community-oriented leadership.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Air quality a nationwide crisis, govt response exceedingly ineffective:Cong
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Sunday cited a report to claim that air quality is a nation-wide, structural crisis for which the government response is "exceedingly ineffective and inadequate", as it demanded a thorough reform of the National Clear Air Programme.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the NCAP propagated as the National Clear Air Programme is actually another type of NCAP - "Notional Clear Air Programme".
The former environment minister said a new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has now confirmed what was always India's "worst-kept secret that the air quality is a nation-wide, structural crisis for which the government response is exceedingly ineffective and inadequate".
Using satellite data, the study found that nearly 44 per cent of Indian cities that is 1,787 out of 4,041 statutory towns assessed have chronic air pollution, with annual PM2.5 levels consistently exceeding the national standard over five years (2019-2024, excluding 2020), Ramesh said in a statement.
Pointing out that the report also highlighted the ineffectiveness of the NCAP, the Congress leader said that despite the scale of the problem (1,787 towns), only 130 cities are covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Of these 130 cities, 28 still lack continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS), he claimed.
Among the 102 cities with monitoring infrastructure, 100 reported PM10 levels of 80 per cent or higher, Ramesh said, adding that in totality, NCAP currently addresses only 4 per cent of India's chronically polluted cities
NCAP, propagated as the National Clear Air Programme, is actually another type of NCAP--Notional Clear Air Programme, he said and asserted that it now needs a thorough overhaul and reform.
"The first step must be to acknowledge the public health crisis linked to air pollution across wide swathes of India. Consequently, given this crisis, we must revisit and totally revamp both the Air Pollution (Control and Prevention) Act of 1981 and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) put into effect in November 2009," Ramesh said.
As per the NAAQS the permissible concentration of fine particulate matter is 60 ug/m3 for a 24-hour period, and 40 ug/m3 annually versus the guidelines of less than 15 ug/m3 for a 24-hour period and 5 ug/m3 annually set by the WHO, he pointed out.
Ramesh urged the government to drastically increase the funds made available under the NCAP.
"The current budget, inclusive of NCAP funding and the 15th Finance Commission's grants, is about Rs. 10,500 crore, spread across 131 cities! Our cities need at least 10-20 times more funding. NCAP must be made a Rs 25,000 crore programme and spread across the 1,000 most polluted towns in the country," he said.
The NCAP must adopt measurement of PM 2.5 levels as the yardstick for performance NCAP must reorient its focus to key sources of emissions -- burning of solid fuels, vehicular emissions, and industrial emissions, the former environment minister said.
"The NCAP must be given legal backing, an enforcement mechanism, and serious data monitoring capacity for every Indian city, beyond the current focus only on 'non- attainment' cities," he argued.
Ramesh asserted that air pollution norms for coal power plants must be enforced immediately.
All power plants must install a Fluoride Gas Desulfurizer (FGD) by the end of 2026, he said.
"The National Green Tribunal's independence must be restored, and the anti-people environmental law amendments of the last 10 years must be rolled back," Ramesh said.
"Twice so far in Parliament -- first on 29th July 2024 and then on 9th December 2025 -- the Modi Government has tried to downplay the health impact of air pollution. The Modi Government is not blind to the truth, it is only attempting to cover up the scale of its incompetence and negligence," the Congress leader alleged.
