Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar after presenting the J. Agarwal Global Icon Gold Medal to Dr. Mohan Rajan of Rajan Eye Care Hospital during the inauguration of the Indian Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery (IIRSI) Convention at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai on Saturday. Looking on are: Amar Agarwal, Secretary General, IIRSI, and Jeewan Titiyal, President, IIRSI
| Photo Credit: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday (July 4, 2026) inaugurated the Indian Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery Convention 2026 (IIRSI Convention), a two-day scientific conference on eye surgery.Addressing the gathering, he emphasised the importance of “human touch” in medical practice. “If we do not have human touch, all that we are doing today will be of no use. We have talent, knowledge, and professionalism. Without human touch, it will be of no use,” he said.Observing that technology is meant to serve humanity, Mr. Arlekar said that it should not become our master, nor should we become slaves to it. “We have to be the masters of all technologies and processes. There will be innovations, digitalisation, and machinery but humanity and human touch is with the person who operates,” he said.The conference, which is the annual flagship event of the Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society of India (IIRSI), has brought together over 2,000 ophthalmologists, surgeons, researchers, and experts from around the world. It features more than 250 speakers, over 500 scientific topics, and nine wet lab sessions, a press release said. The scientific sessions cover the latest advances in cataract, refractive surgery, cornea, retina, myopia, and comprehensive ophthalmology.Jeewan Singh Titiyal, president of IIRSI, said that the future of eye care lies in collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Amar Agarwal, secretary general, IIRSI, and chairman, Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, said they aim to empower ophthalmologists with new knowledge and skills that translate into better patient outcomes through scientific sessions, live surgeries, hands-on training, and interactions with international experts, the release said.Namrata Sharma, chairman, Scientific Committee, All India Ophthalmic Society, and Mohan Rajan, past president of IIRSI and chairman and medical director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital, also spoke. Published - July 04, 2026 05:23 pm IST