Dr. Chinmay Pandya is the grandson of one of India's most esteemed scholars, seers, and philosophers, Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya Ji (1911-1990), the visionary founder of the All World Gayatri Pariwar fraternity, a global movement with over 100 million members and over 5000 centers dedicated to social reform. He currently holds the esteemed position of Pro Vice Chancellor at Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya University (DSVV). Following his medical education in India, he pursued advanced training in the United Kingdom, earning Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych).
In London, he ascended through the ranks of the British National Health Service to secure the role of Associate Specialist in Older People Services at the West London Mental Health Trust, where he specialized in treating dementia related to Alzheimer's disease. In 2010, he returned to India and DSVV , responding to a profound inner calling. Today, Dr. Pandya is an influential figure at his University and beyond, occupying multiple pivotal roles. He serves as the Editor of Dev Sanskriti, an interdisciplinary international journal that delves into a broad spectrum of Indian intellectual pursuits, including Vedic philosophy, culture, psychology, communication, education, Ayurveda, Indian and Eastern studies, and religious pedagogies. As Vice President of the Indian Yoga Association, he spearheads efforts to advance the scientific and philosophical understanding of yoga, meditation, and stress management in contemporary contexts. He chairs the International Festival of Yoga, Culture, and Spirituality and has organized over two hundred national and international colloquia at DSVV , addressing topics ranging from indigenous rights to water desalination. His responsibilities also include overseeing the ethos, academic rigor, and policy implementation at DSVV .
Dr. Pandya's contributions extend to several prestigious bodies. He serves on the Governing Body of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), is a member of the Advisory Council of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), and is part of the Syllabus Restructuring Committee of the National Council for Teachers' Education (NCTE). He is one of five global leaders worldwide, alongside representatives from the University of Cambridge and the University of Virginia, serving as a Director of the Global Covenant of Religions (GCR). He also chairs Asia's first and only Center for Baltic Culture and Studies and the South Asian Institute of Peace and Reconciliation and is the Founder Patron of Rishihood University, India.
Dr. Pandya has presented papers, addressed symposia, and lectured at prestigious venues such as the United Nations (UNO) Headquarters in Vienna, the University of Cambridge, and various universities across Germany, Italy, Singapore, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Vietnam. He has also shared his insights at Lambeth Palace, Royal Methodist Hall, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the Indian Medical Association, the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Nuclear Fuels Corporation (NFC), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India.
Internationally, Dr. Pandya has represented India at the Inter-Governmental meeting of UNESCO on Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue in Morocco. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the India Development Foundation (IDF) and is a member of the prestigious National Cultural Fund (NCF) of the Ministry of Culture, India. He is also one of the esteemed judges of the globally renowned Templeton Prize Committee and was recently honored with the 'Bharat Gaurav Award' at the House of Commons, Westminster, UK. In recognition of his relentless efforts to foster global peace, he was awarded the prestigious 'Vivekanand International Relations Peace Award' and was the sole signatory from India at Hiroshima, Japan, during the signing of the Al Call of Ethics. Amidst these accomplishments, Dr. Pandya continues to practice psychiatry on a pro bono basis, providing invaluable service to those in need.
