Dr. Madhukarrao S. Wasnik is a visionary educationist, popular paediatrician, and a committed social worker in the Vidarbha region. Though he was born in a poor Scheduled Caste family, he excels high against all odds. Born as a social worker, he started free teaching in noted freedom fighter Shri Marpakwarji’s school in 1956 in Nagpur when he was a student of M.B.B.S. Compassionate Humanitarian instead of taking a government job, he preferred to serve poor people day and night through his clinics in the backward region of Nagpur, which now becomes his “Karmabhoomi. Realizing poor people’s health needs, he organized many diagnostic medical camps for eye, medicine, gynaec and family planning in Vidarbha from 1965 and in fourteen blocks of Amethi Constituency in 1982-83.

Dr. Wasnik is a very selfless, conscious person in protecting the rights of members from backward and minority communities. His fighting spirit for social justice was first seen when he ceaselessly fought with the state government in 1963 to get them reserved for positions such as House Officer and Registrar in medical colleges.

To create expertise and leadership among backward and minority doctors, he is a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. Dr. Wasnik founded the Dr. Ambedkar Medicos Association in 1976. The organization was later renamed B.A.H.O., which operates at the national level and has begun the “Dr. Wasnik Oration” at the annual conference in his honor.

Academician of extraordinary insight Dr. Wasnik was elected as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine by defeating former Union Minister Dr. Sushila Nayar and Member of the Executive Council by defeating Dr. Rajani Roy (former Governor of Pondicherry) at Nagpur University with the blessings of Baba Amate. He made tremendous efforts in introducing pediatrics as a separate discipline from medicine in 1978, which is an epoch-making work in medical academics. In this way, Nagpur University becomes first in the nation to have pediatrics as a separate discipline through his unstinting efforts.

Born into a bidi worker’s family and an activist from the student’s life, he was well aware of the pitiable condition in bidi worker’s life. Therefore, tenacious Dr wasnik jumped into the bidi kamgar’s movements from late 1960’s to fight for the right of these people. recognising his tireless efforts towards walfare of

these workers, Maharashtra Govt. appointed him as the member of Minimum Wages Committee. He solely utilized that position in granting higher wages, free health facilities, pension, and monetary help for their children’s education from the government.

Making a difference by going the extra mile, Dr. Wasnik is responsible for sustainable progress in the field of education for backward and minority communities in Vidarbha. Being a hard-core follower of Dr. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, he understood the importance of education. Aware of the plight of Dalit and minority students aspiring to degree education, especially girls, he opened P.W.S. Arts & Comm. College in the backward region of Nagpur in 1968 and Indira Gandhi Arts & Comm. College in rural Kalmeshwar in 1984, which has produced more than 40,000 graduates and post-graduates to date. Dedicated to the social cause, he sacrificed a piece of land meant for a multispecialty hospital and a dream home for the P.W.S. College building and opted to live in a rented house. These colleges today, with well-placed alumni all over the country, proved to be an ideal example of the institute for higher education in the region for sustainable development and brought a wave of revolutionary change among Dalit and minority people’s lives for the past 45 years

Dedicated to the social cause, Dr. Wasnik was elected as corporator and soon was elected as Chairman of the Standing Committee in NMC in 1971. He served people with his zealous abilities and intelligence. His fighting spirit for common men was seen when he fought passionately to save Indira Gandhi Medical College from closure, which caters free health facilities to Dalits and minorities. Initiation of people’s works such as the reopening of post-graduate courses, trauma center, ICCU Cardiac, night-time OPDs for Filaria patients in IGMC, a multispeciality diagnostic center in Sadar, and noteworthy works for sickle cell (hereditary disease) patients since he was a house officer all show his caring concern for society.

Committed to social duties, he was made General Secretary of MPCC by Late Indira Gandhi in 1981, and later Late Rajivji Gandhi recommended him for the MLC seat under Social Works Category as governor’s nominee from 1990 to 1996. As an MLC, he was a very active and vocal member of the House, raising a record of more than 1,900 start questions and 740 calling attentions. He was a pioneer in fighting against corrupt practices and corrupt officials, particularly in the interest of the common man. A National Daily Lokmat declared him “The Hero of the Day” for his unstinting efforts in exposing many scandals like “Dal Ghotala.”

Visionary academician and leader in the medical field, Dr. Wasnik was the first MLC to single-handedly fought tooth and nail to bring Maharashtra Medical University

in Nashik in 1995. Resourceful Dr. Wasnik was also instrumental in drafting the Maharashtra University Act of 1994, which is a milestone in educational affairs in the state. He is also responsible for initiatives in establishing the P.G. Medical Institute, now called the Superspeciality Medical College, in Nagpur.

His vibrant contribution to people’s works as President of Rajiv Vichar Manch in Maharashtra, President of Giants International, and President of the Nagpur Unity Center dedicated to national integrity is highly commendable and noteworthy.

Dr. Wasnik’s contribution in supporting Dalit literary and cultural movement in Maharashtra is unparallel. Committed to the social cause, he was solely responsible for organizing the nation’s first significant Dalit Sahitya Sammelana on the premises of P.W.S. College in 1976. His bold step forward opened up a nationwide forum for the Dalit literary and cultural movement for intellectual writers

His supportive contribution in creating Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) in 1971, the only academy in Nagpur that promotes national game hockey in the region and facilitates training for players over the years, is always unforgettable.

His supportive contribution in creating the Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) in 1971, the only academy in Nagpur that promotes national game hockey in the region and facilitates training for players over the years, is always unforgettable.

His great contribution in the field of youth welfare, women’s empowerment, and child development through his brainchild, the Indian Institute of Youth Welfare (IIYW), a voluntary non-profit organization established in 1973, is a milestone work, especially for Dalits and tribals. A tireless advocate of youth welfare, Dr. Wasnik has created a number of job-oriented training courses at the institute in collaboration with the central and state governments, and other NGOs. The institute is the authorized training center for Anganwadi workers in the state. Under his expert guidance, the IIYW has now grown into five full-time working centers with campuses at Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Ralegaon (Yavatmal), Lonara, and Tamia (M.P.), and has helped hundreds of young people find employment over the years IIYW has been working successfully for the tribal communities in remote Naxalite-affected districts like Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, helping people with job prospects, sustained health care, and socio-economic development. It is a highly commendable achievement of Dr. Wasnik’s life’s work that the IIYW has emerged as the only institute in Vidarbha for all-round personality development of young men and women and in creating promising employable youth.