One of Maharashtra’s biggest and most talked-about events, the much-awaited Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2026, was held today with great enthusiasm. The prestigious ceremony was attended by several prominent personalities including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, veteran actor Aamir Khan, and actor Vicky Kaushal, along with other dignitaries from across the state. During the ceremony, Dr Gyanadev Chopade was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the medical field in the “Rest of Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai)” category. The award was presented by Ashwini Bhide, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Dr Chopade currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Anatomy at SMBT Medical College, Dhamangaon. For the past 22 years, he has been actively working in the field of rare genetic disorders. At the national and international level, he has provided guidance and support to nearly 15,000 patients and their families. He is the Founder and President of the Down Syndrome Care Association and has been supporting individuals with Down syndrome and their families for the past two decades through various empowerment programmes. As part of his social commitment, he currently provides free weekly counselling to around 300 families.
Dr Chopade has also been actively spreading awareness about genetics. He has delivered more than 200 lectures for the general public on the subject of genetics and over 100 lectures at national and international conferences. He is the author of the book Chromosomal Variations, which has been published by Scholars Press in Germany. In addition, he conducts international online training programmes in the field of genetics. For the past 25 years, Dr Chopade has been teaching genetics and embryology to MBBS and postgraduate medical students. He also provides specialised online training for doctors in rare genetic disorders, and through a structured 12-month programme, he has trained nearly 120 doctors so far.
Dr Chopade completed his PhD in Medical Genetics from Grant Medical College and Sir J. J. Hospital. Every year, on the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day, he organises several initiatives including parent empowerment programmes, special health check-up camps, expert–parent interaction sessions, and parent-to-parent support meetings to strengthen the Down syndrome community.