The Chairman

Casual Vacancy Due to Resignation wef 26-02-2026.

Chaiperson to be elected in next Board of Governors Meeting.

The President is officiating as Chairman.

After serving as a member of the Board of Governors for more than 23 years and as its Chairman for 14 years, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao has resigned from both the Chairmanship and his membership in the Institute. Below is an extract from his email dated 26 February 2026.

Dear Dr. Mahapatra,
It has been a great experience and pleasure working with you and others on the Board of The Institute of Health Systems (HIS) over the past many years. Together we have experienced lot of ups and downs, and I commend you for your perseverance in trying to build and maintain the Institute against all odds.
I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be the Chair of the Board of IHS. Recently I have turned 80 and I have begun to slowly withdraw from my participation from many Boards of which I had the privilege of association. I believe the time has come for me to withdraw from IHS Board too.
Hence I am submitting my resignation from the Board both as a member and Chair.
Thanks again for all the years of association and friendship. I hope and wish the IHS the very best in its attempts to realise its aspirations.
Warmest personal regards, Yours sincerely, Gullapalli N. Rao

Acknowledging Dr. Rao's resignation, the President, Dr. Prasanta Mahapatra, thanked him for his stewardship of the Institute. Below is an extract from the President's email dated 26 February 2026.

Dear Dr. Rao,
I thank you for your stewardship of the Institute of Health Systems as a Member of the Board of Governors from 23-12-2002 and Chairperson of the Board of Governors from 11-02-2012. I am ever grateful to you for your guidance and support for development of the IHS.
At first it was difficult for me to accept your intention to resign, as I have become accustomed to your guidance and support. However, I respect your decision and wish you a long and active tenure in pursuit of your interests and your passion. It is a loss for the Institute to loose a highly acclaimed & widely respected health care professional, a top class institution builder, world leader in eye care, a mentor to thousands of eye care and allied professionals, and above all a successful and dedicated leader in expansion of high quality, state of the art and accessible eye care services in our country and rest of the world. On this occasion, I once again salute to your leadership and deeply appreciate your gentleness and civility.
I have copied this email to all members of the Institute and will place the same in the next meeting of the Board of Governors. I look forward to your blessings for the Institute of Health Systems and our vision for development of health systems in India.
With Regards, Prasanta

Interim arrangement & Election of next Chairperson, according to IHS Rule 12.1.3:

Where due to any reason a casual vacancy occurs in the ofice of the Chairman, the board of governors shall elect a Chairman as soon as possible. He shall hold office for the unexpired protion of the term of office of previous incumbent but shall be eligible for relection.
Till such time as a new chairman is elected by the Baord of Governors, the President shall officiate as the chairman.

Powers & Functions of the Chairman:

According to Rule 12.2 of the IHS:

The Chairman, shall, by virtue of his office, be head of the institute.
The Chairman shall preside over the meetings of the board of governors.
The Chairman, shall, when present preside at the General Body, the Executive Council, formal ceremonies and celebrations of the institute.
The Chairman, may by order in writing annul any proceedings of the institute, which is not in conformity with the objectives and/or rules of the institute.
Provided that before making any such order, he shall give a notice to the concerned authority or office bearer to show cause why such an order should not be made and if any cause is shown within the time specified therefore, in the said notice, shall consider the same.

Honour Roll of Past Chairpersons:

Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao

IHS Chairman:
11^th Feb 2012 - 26^th Feb 2026

Dr. Gullapalli N Rao established the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India in 1987 and is LVPEI’s Founder Chair. He is the alumnus of Guntur Medical College; AIIMS; Tufts University and University of Rochester, USA.

He has over 300 publications, membership on editorial boards of several international journals of ophthalmology, visiting professorships, honorary doctorates and fellowships from national and international academic institutions. He is a member of the “Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis (AOI)” and served as its President. He held leadership positions on the boards of many organisations, including the International Council of Ophthalmology. He was Secretary–General and later Chair of the Board and CEO of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness. He is a member of the Jury of Annual Vision Science Award of the Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal.

He was inducted into the “Ophthalmology Hall of Fame” at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). The All India Ophthalmological Society created the “Gullapalli N. Rao – AIOS Endowment Lecture” in his honour, in 2020. He also received The Sanford and Susan Greenberg Outstanding Achievement Prize as part of the “End Blindness 2020” initiative.

Dr. P. Hrishikesh

IHS Chairman:
21^st Aug 1994 - 12^th Sep 2011

Dr. Hrishikesh, passed BA in 1946, and MBBS in 1953, from the Andhra University. By 1956, he did a Diploma in Public Health from the Calcultta University followed by a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard University in 1959. He was one of the first persons from the Telugu States to have studied Masters in Public Health in Harvard School of Public Health in 1950s. He was a Teaching Fellow, at the Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical School, University of Vermont, Burlington from 1959 to 1960. Back in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Hrishikesh taught Social and Preventive Medicine as Professor in Gandhi, Andhra and Osmania Medical Colleges, between 1961 to 1976. He was Chief Medical & Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation Hyderabad, between 1976 to 1979 and 1985 to 1987. He was Director Health in 1983 and 1984. After retirement from Government service, he dedicated himself to the Sivananda Rehabilitation Home, as its Director, and Honorary Secretary.

During the days leading up to establishing of the IHS, Dr. Hrishikesh encouraged the idea, and readily volunteered his services towards establishment of the Institute and its operation during the initial days. He ably nurtured the IHS as a Honorary Director and Chairman of the Board from 21/08/1994 until the date of his passing away on 12th September, 2011.

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Shri G. Kumaraswamy Reddy

MA Pol. Science & Public Admin.;
Dip (French lang.); IAS (Retd.).

IHS Chairman: 05^th Dec 1990 - 15^th July 1994

Mr. Kumaraswamy Reddy passed MA in Political Science & Public Administration from Presidency College, Madras (now Chennai) in 1955. He joined the Andhra Pradesh State civil service in 1956. He was appointed to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1963. He served the Health Medical & Family Welfare (HM&FW) Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh in several positions, including as Principal Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh in the HM&FW Department. He was the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devastanam (TTD) from 1982 to 1985.

During the days leading up to establishment of the IHS, Mr. Kumaraswamy Reddy was Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and encouraged the idea of an institution for health systems research and health system capacity development.