Dr. Anil Rajesh Dungdung
— A Life Remembered, A Legacy Continued
Together, the Class of 1991 established the ₹75 lakh endowment in 2018—the first fully funded MBBS scholarship at St. John’s. It provides full tuition to a deserving student, with particular meaning for students from Tribal, Dalit or North Indian Native Catholic communities.
With FOSJ stewardship and advocacy, the promise is secured in perpetuity as a full-tuition MBBS scholarship. Students who never knew Dunga now walk through St. John’s because his classmates chose remembrance that continues to change lives.
A life not lost to time, but living on in every student uplifted, every patient comforted and every act of healing made possible in his name.
To his St. John’s Class of 1991 classmates, Dr. Anil Rajesh Dungdung — affectionately known as “Dunga” — was unforgettable. He was known for his booming laugh, effortless warmth, and a generosity of spirit that asked for nothing in return. He had a gift for making people feel welcome and at ease, and a willingness to step forward when others hesitated.
His sudden passing while serving on a WHO outreach program in Jharkhand left his classmates with profound grief — and an equally profound desire to ensure that something of the friend they loved would endure.
They chose to honor Dunga not simply in memory, but in purpose.
Together, the Class of 1991 established the Dr. Anil Rajesh Dungdung Memorial Scholarship, the first fully funded MBBS scholarship at St. John’s Medical College. Their hope was especially meaningful: to extend the opportunity of a St. John’s medical education to deserving students, including those who came from circumstances like Dunga’s and carried the same promise they had once seen in their friend.
The scholarship provides full tuition support, allowing its recipients to pursue medicine without the burden of tuition costs. With the stewardship and sustained advocacy of Friends of St. John’s (FOSJ), that promise has been secured in perpetuity as a full-tuition MBBS scholarship — ensuring that its value and purpose endure for generations to come.
What began as one class remembering one beloved friend has become something far greater: an enduring legacy of opportunity, service, and healing. Students who never knew Dunga now walk through St. John’s because his classmates chose to remember him in a way that would continue to change lives.
“Adapted from ‘Birth of a scholarship’ by Dr. Jijo James, SJMC MBBS Batch of 1991.”
Dr. Kusum Kumar – First Recipient of the Dr. Anil Rajesh Dungdung Scholarship
A life not lost to time, but one that lives on in every student uplifted, every patient comforted, and every act of healing made possible in his name.
