We support leaders, programs and impact initiatives in education, healthcare and continued learning: through grants, fellowships and other in-kind support.
42,500+tubal ligations using the mini-lap procedure she pioneered
1998the Trust is founded
01 Our inspiration
Dr. Nirmala Swami
Our inspiration. Our guru. Our guiding light.
Dr. Nirmala Swami started her journey with an M.B.B.S. degree in 1952 from the prestigious Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, India. She went on to train as an Obstetrician & Gynecologist at Shri Sayajirao Gaekwad Hospital, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, Gujarat, and became the first postgraduate student of the University. She served as Professor & Head of the Ob-Gyn Department there for 40 years and retired to continue serving as an emeritus Professor.
In 1980 she received the Dr. B. C. Roy National Award in recognition of her services as an Eminent Medical Teacher in Obstetrics. She authored over 100 scholarly papers and reviews, and was a fellow founder of the Indian College of Obstetricians & Gynecology. She pioneered the mini-lap procedure for tubal ligation and performed over 42,500 tubal ligations using it.
Her thorough methodology, compassion for patients and dedication to education are the key principles of the Trust.
It's amazing… she diagnosed a life-threatening pregnancy complication when I walked into her office with backache one day. She is the reason I'm alive today!
From the archive
1980Dr. B. C. Roy National Award, Medical Council of India1972Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, S.S.G. Hospital and Medical College, Baroda
02 Since 1998
The Trust
The Dr. Nirmala Swami Charitable Trust was founded in 1998 by Dr. Bharat Swami, the son of the late Dr. Nirmala Swami, to fulfil their joint dream to serve, educate and support humanity.
Today the Trust supports leaders, programs and impact initiatives in education, healthcare and continued learning through grants, fellowships and other in-kind support.
Quality in education is what makes learning a pleasure. The Trust strives for professionally focused education with fresh approaches: new ways to motivate learners, novel learning styles, multiple intelligences, and global trends and ideas. In a nutshell, it aims to make the art of learning more exhilarating, enthusiastic and effective.
VisionA healthy, educated global society.
“Our passion is to provide quality education to the society and to create citizens who can be an asset and revenue earners for themselves, society and the country.”
Who we support
Leaders · Programs · Impact initiatives
Where
Education · Healthcare · Continued learning
How
Grants · Fellowships · In-kind support
Milestones
1952
Dr. Nirmala Swami earns her M.B.B.S. from Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi.
1980
Dr. B. C. Roy National Award as an Eminent Medical Teacher in Obstetrics.
1998
Dr. Bharat Swami founds the Trust to serve, educate and support humanity.
2013–14
Fellowships for Indian medical graduates with Cleveland Clinic and the University of Miami.
Today
Grants, fellowships and in-kind support for leaders, programs and impact initiatives in education, healthcare and continued learning.
03 Today
Supporting innovation
In the spirit of Dr. Nirmala Swami's thorough methodology, compassion for patients and dedication to education, the Trust supports projects and innovations in:
Continuing education
Risk
AI for good
Patient safety
Educational programs
Health & nature
Working on something in one of these areas? Write to us.
04 What the Trust has built and supported
Our Work
Medical & allied-health education
Dr. Nirmala Swami College of Rehabilitation
Educated and trained Physiotherapists for licensure and practice in the United States, with placements in the U.S. and Australia, including visa consultation and interview training.
SCAD Nurse Education & Placement Program
Trained Nurses for placement in the United Kingdom healthcare system under TLC, and educated and trained Nurses in India for the CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) test in the United States, including visa consultation and interview training.
Baroda Back Education Unit (BBEU)
Trains Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Orthopedicians and Neurologists to relieve backache through patient education, exercise and back care. BBEU takes an integrated, non-surgical approach and runs ergonomics workshops for industries in the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation area in Baroda.
Dental education
In collaboration with the Trust, Manubhai Patel Dental College and Hospital offers a rigorous training program for dentists, with research opportunities in India and abroad. The Trust also supports students pursuing a B.D.S. at Maurus College of Dentistry, Mauritius, which is affiliated to Manubhai Patel Dental College.
Baroda Homeopathic College
Dr. Bharat Swami and Dr. Tilottama Swami served as visiting faculty, teaching Anatomy and Embryology respectively. The Trust trained and supported students for higher education in India, Singapore and Australia to promote the traditional practice of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) across countries and cultures.
Community health
Dr. Nirmala Swami Centre for Menopause Relief (NSCMR)
Free-of-cost care for menopausal patients: one-on-one counselling, yoga and meditation classes, laboratory hormonal testing, mammography screening, routine pap smears and bone densitometry. A team of infertility specialists also provides diagnostic and curative services under NSCMR.
Awareness camps
The Trust supports autism awareness camps organised by the Disha Center for Autism. It sponsors doctors to run health camps and health-education classes at the slum-based Prerna Center, and it supervises a Mobile Awareness Team providing door-to-door education and immunization for children and pregnant mothers in villages of Baroda District.
Arthroscopy Centre
Free-of-cost services for aspiring and seasoned cricketers and underserved populations.
Yoga for Health
Weekly classes in yoga asanas for antenatal and menopausal wellbeing, led by certified yoga trainer Dr. Tilottama Swami.
Research & innovation
SOGAX Research & Development Institute
Funds community-based research, including diabetes research projects that assess the quality and accessibility of healthcare services among underserved populations. NSCMR consultants also conduct community-based research to improve the services delivered to patients.
communetes
The institute's early-stage start-up, focused on changing how we communicate about diabetes by pooling individual perspectives and expert knowledge.
Culture & fundraising
Jagjit Singh in Concert
Annual fund-raising concerts celebrating the legendary ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh.
Krishnayan
The first-ever Gujarati audiobook, offering a fresh perspective on Lord Krishna's life through a musical narrative.
05 Track record
Fellowships for international medical graduates
The Trust partnered with U.S. academic medical centres on research and clinical-training fellowships for international medical graduates from India.
Cleveland Clinic: Post-MBBS Research Training Program
A 12-month program, established with Cleveland Clinic's Center for Graduate Medical Education, for Indian medical graduates selected jointly by the Trust and Cleveland Clinic. Fellows studied the principles of clinical research, carried out a mentored research project, observed clinical care, and prepared for further graduate medical education and USMLE in the United States. Specialties included Cardiology, Endocrinology & Metabolism, and Pulmonary/Critical Care.
Program details
Coursework in medical statistics and research proposal development (CMERAD), plus online courses through COMET in bioethics, pain management, quantitative research, medical/scientific writing and teaching essentials.
A one-on-one mentor and a specialty-specific research project, with the aim of peer-reviewed publications, presentations or posters.
Clinical and research observation alongside faculty, plus grand rounds and departmental teaching series.
Personal and professional development workshops, including leadership and systems-thinking curricula through the Cleveland Clinic Academy.
Monthly evaluation by a Program Medical Advisor, guidance from current international fellows, and advice on non-immigrant visa options.
Fellows were sponsored as J-1 Exchange Visitors in the Research Scholar category.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine: UMPIRE
The University of Miami Program for International Research & Education (UMPIRE) was offered in conjunction with the Trust for physicians planning U.S. residencies in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Anesthesia, Neurology and Pediatrics. It ran as a 6-month or 12-month track, with research, patient safety, problem-based and simulation-based learning, and clinical rotations. Faculty lead: Leonardo Tamariz, M.D., M.P.H.
Program details
Residency Scholarly Activity Program (RSAP): a mentored research curriculum. The 6-month track completed a meta-analysis; the 12-month track completed secondary data analysis or primary data collection.
Patient safety course: a simulation-based curriculum from the Center for Patient Safety, assessed through an OSCE.
Problem-based learning: one month in small groups working through real-world patient problems.
Clinical rotations: 2–3 months on clinical teams through the Global Observership Program of the International Medicine Institute.
Simulation and interviewing: taped patient interviews with faculty feedback, supervised bedside interviews, and practice residency interviews with program directors.
Electives at the Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education: cardiology (including “Harvey”, the cardiopulmonary patient simulator), neurology, emergency training and procedures.
06 People
Trustees
Dr. Bharat SwamiManaging Trustee
Dr. Tilottama SwamiTrustee
Chintan MehtaTrustee
Niraj SwamiTrustee
Dr. Janya SwamiHonorary Trustee
Get in touch
For partnerships, grants, fellowships or to learn more about the Trust's work, write to us:
