Dehradun
Meeting people at AIIMS Rishikesh
AIIMS Rishikesh is the 2012 AIIMS on the Ganga in the Himalayan foothills, where hostels overlook the river, NIRF ranks the institute among India's top 15 medical colleges, and the Pyrexia fest draws more than 12,000 people.
AIIMS Rishikesh became the base for India's first government heli-ambulance service, launched by PM Narendra Modi on 29 October 2024, and its hostels look out over the Ganga.
The story of AIIMS Rishikesh
AIIMS Rishikesh was planned from 2004 under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana and established in 2012, alongside the other new AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna and Raipur. Its first MBBS batch had 50 students, and intake has since grown to 125 a year, plus 100 nursing students.
By 2019 the hospital ran 960 beds and 25 modular operating theatres, with 17 super-specialty and 18 specialty departments. On 29 October 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India's first government helicopter ambulance service through AIIMS Rishikesh, free for patients and linked to disaster management offices across Uttarakhand.
President Droupadi Murmu addressed the fourth convocation on 23 April 2024, where 598 students received degrees, and then joined the Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan. NIRF ranked AIIMS Rishikesh 14th among medical colleges in 2024 and 13th in 2025.
What the campus is like socially
Few medical colleges have a setting like this. Hostels look out over the Ganga, the hills are always in view, and study breaks mean walks by the river. Students say the location is peaceful but a little far from town, so bus services to Dehradun and Haridwar are a lifeline on weekends.
Campus life is organised through ARSWA, the AIIMS Rishikesh Students' Welfare Association. Sports, the gym and the run-up to Pyrexia fill the gaps between lectures, wards and night duties.
Traditions every AIIMS Rishikesh student knows
- Pyrexia: The annual cultural fest, named after the medical word for fever. The 2025 edition ran five days, drew 12,000+ students and featured B Praak, Mohit Chauhan and Aditi Singh Sharma.
- Convocation and Ganga Aarti: The 2024 convocation ended with the President joining the evening Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh.
- Weekend buses: Bus services to Dehradun and Haridwar make weekend trips part of student life.
Campus lore and insider spots
- Lecture corridors into lyric corridors: How Pyrexia's organisers describe what the fest does to campus every year.
- The river view: Students often call their Ganga-facing hostels the best view of any AIIMS.
- The heli-ambulance: The campus is the base for India's first government helicopter ambulance service.
How to find your people here
At AIIMS Rishikesh, your hostel wing and your batch are where friendships start. Cultural and sports societies are the fastest way to meet people outside your immediate cohort.
Fests and societies at AIIMS Rishikesh
Signature fests
- Pyrexia
Notable societies
- ARSWA (Students' Welfare Association)
- Pyrexia team
- Sports teams
Societies worth knowing at AIIMS Rishikesh
- ARSWA: The Students' Welfare Association that coordinates student activities and welfare.
- Pyrexia team: Runs the cultural fest and its pre-fest workshops.
- Sports teams: Badminton, tennis, basketball and volleyball, plus a campus sports complex and gym.
Careers, internships and placements
Most MBBS graduates aim for MD, MS, DM or MCh training through INI-CET or NEET-PG, and many stay in government health services. The hospital's specialty and super-specialty departments give students wide clinical exposure.
The institute also has a distinctive emergency role in Uttarakhand's mountain terrain, anchored by the heli-ambulance service that connects with disaster management offices across the state.
Rivalries and eternal debates
Among the newer AIIMS, Rishikesh is often at the top of the NIRF table and is compared most with Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur and Bhopal on rankings and NEET cutoffs.
What AIIMS Rishikesh is talking about now
A top-15 NIRF rank, the heli-ambulance service and an ever bigger Pyrexia define the current mood on campus.
Meeting people at AIIMS Rishikesh by interest
A lot of friendships here form around a shared interest rather than a class or a hostel wing. If you are into running, volunteering and social impact, reading and book clubs, food and cafe hopping, and music and jamming, those pages cover where that scene actually happens in India and how to find people near you who are into the same thing.
Colleges nearby
AIIMS Rishikesh sits close to UPES (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies), Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), and IIT Roorkee, all part of the same Dehradun student scene. Cross-college friendships often start at inter-college fests, hackathons, or shared-interest communities rather than in class.
Similar campuses across India
If you are looking beyond your own campus, students at AIIMS Bhopal, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AIIMS New Delhi, and AIIMS Jodhpur share a similar campus culture, and Zyber works the same way at each: showing you verified people nearby who match on interest, intent, or timing.
Zyber on campus
Zyber is built for meeting people nearby in real time, with verified profiles only. At AIIMS Rishikesh, that means showing you people near you who share your interests or your drive, whether or not you overlap on a class or a society.
New to AIIMS Rishikesh? Start here
If you are just starting out, these freshers guides are written for exactly this moment: first week of college checklist, how to choose societies in college, making friends beyond your branch, and internship in first year.
FAQ: AIIMS Rishikesh
When was AIIMS Rishikesh established?+
AIIMS Rishikesh was planned from 2004 and established in 2012, starting with 50 MBBS students.
How many MBBS seats are there at AIIMS Rishikesh?+
AIIMS Rishikesh admits 125 MBBS students a year, through NEET-UG.
What is the fest of AIIMS Rishikesh?+
Pyrexia is AIIMS Rishikesh's annual cultural fest. The 2025 edition ran five days with B Praak and Mohit Chauhan.
What is the NIRF rank of AIIMS Rishikesh?+
AIIMS Rishikesh was ranked 14th among medical colleges by NIRF in 2024 and 13th in 2025.
Does AIIMS Rishikesh have a helicopter ambulance?+
Yes. India's first government heli-ambulance service was launched through AIIMS Rishikesh on 29 October 2024.
How do I make friends at AIIMS Rishikesh?+
The fastest way to make friends at AIIMS Rishikesh is to join a society or activity group in your first few weeks and keep showing up, since Dehradun's campus culture here rewards consistency over one-off networking.
What societies should I join at AIIMS Rishikesh?+
At AIIMS Rishikesh, the societies and clubs tied to what you actually care about, not the biggest or most popular ones, tend to build the strongest friendships.
What are the main societies and fests at AIIMS Rishikesh?+
AIIMS Rishikesh's social calendar centers on Pyrexia, alongside societies like ARSWA (Students' Welfare Association), Pyrexia team, and Sports teams.
How do I meet people from other colleges nearby?+
In Dehradun, cross-college friendships usually start at inter-college fests, hackathons, or shared interest communities rather than in class. Apps like Zyber help by showing you nearby people at other campuses who share your interests.
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the freshers guide, the Meet People pillar, or read what Zyber is.