The Pravara Medical Trust is the parent organization of Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences - Deemed to be University and was established in 1972 in a small village Loni of Ahmednagar District (Maharashtra State) by a visionary Padmashri Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil, founder of the co-operative movement in India.
A comprehensive rural health care model and the natural consequence of this realization was lead by his visionary son Padmabhushan Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, who established the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences- Deemed to be University.
The university is founded with the objectives of providing quality health care to the rural people and training medical and paramedical manpower in formal education, demystifying medicine through training community groups to cope up with their health problems, conducting research leading to improving the quality of life of people. Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences is the only medical university representing rural India, with its uniqueness in location, student backgrounds, innovative need based curriculum, pedagogy and community 'out-reach' activities.
Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University) was established under Section(3) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act 1956 on 29th September, 2003 by Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development vide its notification No. F.9-11/2000-U-3
Recently PIMS - Deemed to be University has been adjudged A GRADE by NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL OF INDIA (2nd Cycle).
The PIMS has 6 constituent colleges with health sciences faculties which include medical, dental, nursing physiotherapy, biotechnology and public health. The degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded by the university have approval of the University Grants Commission(UGC) and concerned statutory bodies.
The University Hospital is a 1300 bedded super-specialty with state of the art health care facilities.
PIMS hospital caters to the rural and tribal population of this region through its outreach activities, catering to half a million population. The outreach activities are conducted through its 9 Primary Health Care Centers, mobile clinics and multi-diagnostic camps, thus providing health care to the doorstep of the rural population. Two of the Primary Health Care Centers are located in remote tribal areas.
PIMS – Deemed to be University collaborates with 29 world renowned universities and organizations in its effort to internationalize the higher education.
The parent body of the PIMS, Pravara Medical Trust has received accolades from His Excellency Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Ex-President of India, for the pioneer work done in the field of integrated rural development and appreciated the participative model of 'Integrated Rural Development' followed at Loni as the role model for the development of rural India and has been referred by His Excellency as the operative model of PURA - Providing Urban Amenities to Rural.