Dr. Jasvant Modi

From Wikitia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Dr. Jasvant Modi
Dr. Jasvant Modi.jpg
Born1951
Godhra, India
EducationB.J. Medical College
Occupation
  • Physician
  • Healthcare entrepreneur
  • Philanthropist
Known forSupport for Jain Studies programs at universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere
Spouse(s)Dr. Meera Modi

Dr. Jasvant Modi is an American physician, healthcare entrepreneur, and philanthropist known for his role in supporting the growth of Jain Studies as an academic field at universities across the United States and the United Kingdom. A retired gastroenterologist, Modi later became a healthcare manager and investor and, together with his wife, Dr. Meera Modi, a major donor to higher education, healthcare, and interfaith initiatives.

Through the Vardhamana Charitable Foundation, which the couple founded, Modi has supported endowed chairs, professorships, fellowships, and scholarships in Jain Studies at institutions including UCLA, the University of Birmingham, UC Riverside, SOAS University of London, and the University of Colorado Denver, among others.

According to Indiaspora, Dr. Jasvant Modi and Dr. Meera Modi have contributed more than 30 million dollars to philanthropic initiatives in the United States, Europe, and India.[1] In 2023, Modi received the Ahimsa Award from the Institute of Jainology at the House of Commons in London for his work establishing Jain Studies programs at universities in the West.[2]

Early Life and Education

Jasvant Modi was born in Godhra, in the Indian state of Gujarat, in 1951. He was raised in a Jain family, the son of a schoolteacher who later became a school inspector.[3]

Modi studied medicine at B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad before immigrating to the United States in the mid 1970s. He completed his medical residency in Chicago, Illinois, before relocating to Los Angeles to build his career in gastroenterology.[3]

Medical and Healthcare Career

Modi practiced as a gastroenterologist in the Los Angeles area, conducting gastrointestinal consultations, endoscopy procedures, colonoscopies, and cancer screenings, and treating digestive disorders as part of his clinical work.

He retired from clinical gastroenterology in 2014. Following his retirement, Modi moved into healthcare management and investment, acquiring and operating long term care facilities across Southern California. His wife, Dr. Meera Modi, trained at Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi and built her own career in family medicine in Los Angeles.[3]

Philanthropy

Modi's philanthropic activity spans education, healthcare, and religious and cultural preservation, primarily channeled through the Vardhamana Charitable Foundation. His giving is guided by three Jain principles that he has described publicly on several occasions: ahimsa, or nonviolence; aparigraha, or nonpossessiveness; and anekantavada, the recognition that any question can be viewed from multiple valid perspectives.

Widely syndicated wire coverage in 2021, along with later press releases, reported a pledge of roughly 13 million dollars from Modi toward establishing Jain Studies programs at colleges and universities in the United States, coordinated with the Vardhamana Charitable Foundation. That figure represents the sum of a large number of individual gifts spread across educational institutions rather than a single transaction.[4] Indiaspora has reported that the couple's combined philanthropic giving across the United States, Europe, and India now exceeds 30 million dollars, a figure that has not been independently audited but has been repeated in multiple profiles of the couple, including a 2026 American Bazaar documentary profile.[1][3]

Beyond higher education, Modi and his wife have supported disaster relief efforts, healthcare charities, and organizations including Pratham USA, Akshaya Patra, LIFE Charity, and the South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency.

Expansion of Jain Studies in Higher Education

What may be the most distinctive part of Modi's public record is his role, alongside his wife and a wider circle of Jain donors, in building Jain Studies into an established field at universities in North America, Europe, and Asia. Over roughly the past decade, Modi has been associated with the creation of endowed chairs, professorships, postdoctoral fellowships, and scholarships dedicated to the study of Jainism.

United States

Modi and his wife have supported Jain Studies initiatives at a number of American universities, including the following:

  • University of California, Los Angeles: A 1.5 million dollar pledge from Jasvant and Meera Modi, combined with an additional 500,000 dollars from other Jain community donors, established the Bhagawan Abhinandan Endowed Chair for Jain Studies and Religions of South Asia in 2025, UCLA's first endowed professorship in this field. The inaugural lecture associated with the chair was held in 2026.[5][6][7]
  • University of California, Riverside: The Shrimad Rajchandra Endowed Chair in Jain Studies, established in 2017, was funded in part by Jasvant and Meera Modi along with other donor families and the Jain Center of Southern California. Dr. Ana Bajzelj was appointed to the chair in 2018.[8]
  • University of California, Irvine: The Shri Parshvanath Presidential Chair in Jain Studies was funded with a 1.5 million dollar gift from the Modi family and the Shah family, along with matching funds from the University of California. Dr. Brianne Donaldson was named to the chair.[9]
  • University of Colorado Denver: University materials list Modi, identified as a trustee of the Vardhamana Charitable Foundation, among the donors who funded the original endowed professorship in Jain Studies in 2021 and its later elevation to the Bhagwan Suparshvanatha Endowed Chair, held by Dr. Steven Vose.[10][11]
  • University of Pittsburgh: Modi and his wife contributed to the Bhagwan Vasu Pujya Swami Postdoctoral Fellowship in Jain Studies.
  • California State University, Northridge: An 800,000 dollar gift from Jasvant and Meera Modi supported the Bhagvan Ajitnath Endowed Professorship in Jain Studies.
  • University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Modi was among a group of donors whose 1 million dollar gift, the largest the university's Department of Religion had received, established Jainism as a course of study.
  • Cerritos College: A 1 million dollar gift commitment from Jasvant and Meera Modi, along with Harshad and Raksha Shah, established the Bhagavan Kunthunath Endowed Scholar of Jain Thought Leadership, described as the first endowed Jain scholar position at a United States community college.[12]
  • Florida Atlantic University: Modi pledged 450,000 dollars toward the Bhagavan Sambhavnath Jain Chair.
  • Rice University: Modi is credited with supporting the Tirthankar Shantinath Endowed Professorship in Jain Studies.
  • California State University, Long Beach: Modi and the Shah Foundation funded the Bhagwan Suvidhinath Endowed Chair in Jain Studies, held by Dr. Shivani Bothra.[13]
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison: Modi is named, together with several other Jain donor families, as a funder of the Shri Anantnath Chair in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, established in 2021.[14]
  • Arihanta Institute: Modi serves on the board and has supported the institute's Master of Arts program in Jain Studies, including its concentrations in yoga studies and in veganism, animals, and ecology, as well as the Tirthankara Shreyamsanatha endowment for a professorship in vegan and animal advocacy studies, established with Dr. Meera Modi and Dr. Namrata Patel.[15]

Reporting on this trend has noted that, over roughly the past decade, donors have funded endowed positions in Jain Studies at more than a dozen American universities, including several of the campuses listed above.[12]

United Kingdom

In December 2022, the University of Birmingham announced the launch of the Bhagavan Dharmanath Programme in Jain Studies, made possible by a 1.5 million dollar gift from a group of philanthropists that included Modi, representing donors in the United States, and Nemu Chandaria, representing donors in the United Kingdom. The program, which began enrolling students in 2023, established an Assistant Professorship in Jain Studies, an Assistant Professorship in the Ethics of Non-Violence, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Jain Studies, along with teaching and research connecting Jainism to environmental protection, human rights, and interfaith dialogue. The university also offers the Dharmanath Scholarship in Jain Studies, supported by Jasvant and Meera Modi and family alongside the William Paton Trust.[16][17][18]

At SOAS University of London, Modi and his wife support the Bhagavan Mahavira PhD Scholarship in Jaina Studies through the Centre of Jaina Studies. Modi has also pledged more than 250,000 dollars to support the JAINA Prosopography Project at SOAS, a research initiative documenting the historical contributions of Jain scholars and figures.[19]

India and International Programs

In India, Modi has supported the International School for Jain Studies and educational programs connecting students abroad with Jain communities and institutions in India, including an immersion program hosted at Jain Vishwa Bharati University in Ladnun, Rajasthan, organized with the Jain Education and Research Foundation.[20]

Vardhamana Charitable Foundation

The Vardhamana Charitable Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation founded by Jasvant and Meera Modi in March 2015 and based in La Canada Flintridge, California. Registered as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation coordinates the couple's giving in education, healthcare, and religious and cultural programs, with a particular focus on expanding the academic study of Jainism in the United States and abroad. Much of Modi's support for endowed chairs and scholarships in Jain Studies has been coordinated through the foundation.[21][22]

Jain Philosophy, Veganism, and Animal Ethics

In public remarks and university materials, Modi has connected his philanthropy directly to Jain teachings. Describing the University of Birmingham's Jain Studies programme, he explained the three principles he considers central to a modern, pluralistic society: ahimsa, the avoidance of harm to any living being; aparigraha, keeping only what one needs and giving the rest to others; and anekantavada, respect for the validity of differing viewpoints.[17]

Modi has also been an advocate for veganism within the Jain community. As president of the Jain Center of Southern California, he supported a 2018 resolution to serve only vegan food at community events, arguing that dairy consumption was inconsistent with the Jain principle of nonviolence. He and his wife later helped fund the Tirthankara Shreyamsanatha Endowment for Professorship in Vegan and Animal Advocacy Studies at the Arihanta Institute.[23][15]

Community and Institutional Leadership

  • Jain Center of Southern California: Modi has served as a board member and, beginning in 2018, as president.
  • Jain Temple of Los Angeles: Modi has served as a board member and vice president.
  • Arihanta Institute: Modi serves as a board member and has been an advisor to the institute since its founding.[15]
  • Institute of Jainology: Modi was named a patron of the institute following an additional gift in 2023.[2]

Awards and Recognition

  • 2023 Ahimsa Award, Institute of Jainology, presented at the House of Commons in London for contributions to the field of Jain education, including the endowment of Jain Studies chairs at universities in the West.[2][24][25]
  • Honorary Doctor of Literature, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara, India, conferred in February 2024.

Personal Life

Modi lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Dr. Meera Modi, an internist and family medicine physician. The couple has two children, Dr. Rushabh Modi and Shruti Modi. Both Jasvant and Meera Modi are practicing followers of Jainism, and their philanthropic approach draws directly on Jain teachings regarding nonviolence, non-possessiveness, and respect for differing points of view.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Dr. Jasvant Modi and Dr. Meera Modi". Indiaspora. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Ahimsa Day 2023 at the House of Commons". Institute of Jainology. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Bhawal, Samarpita (16 March 2026). "Healing, enterprise, and giving back: The American Journey of Dr. Jasvant Modi". The American Bazaar. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Dr. Jasvant Modi Pledges $13 Million to Establish Jain Studies in Higher Education". LatestLY. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Berbeo, Lucy (23 October 2025). "$2 million commitment to UCLA will advance the study of Jainism and other South Asian religions". UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Gift Establishes Endowed Chair in Jainism and South Asian Religions". UCLA Humanities. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "UCLA establishes Jain Studies chair through the community's gift". The American Bazaar. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Endowed Faculty Chairs". University of California, Riverside — Department of Religious Studies. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Brianne Donaldson Named Endowed Chair in Jain Studies". UCI School of Humanities. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "The University of Colorado Denver Announces the Establishment of the Bhagwan Suparshvanatha Endowed Chair in Jain Studies". University of Colorado Denver. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "University of Colorado Denver proud recipient of $500,000 gift to fund endowed professorship in Jain Studies". CU Denver News. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Little known outside India, Jainism spreads to colleges amid calls to decolonize studies". The Detroit News. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Dr. Jasvant Modi Funds CSUS New Jain Studies Endowed Chair". PRUnderground. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "ALC adds Shiri Anantnath Chair dedicated to the study of Jainism". University of Wisconsin–Madison, Asian Languages and Cultures. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Jasvant Modi". Arihanta Institute. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "University of Birmingham launches teaching and research studies in Jainism". University of Birmingham. 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "University of Birmingham makes key appointments in Jain Studies". MyScience. 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Dharmanath Scholarship in Jain Studies". University of Birmingham. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Bhagavan Mahavira PhD Scholarship". SOAS University of London. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Dr. Modi Supports Global Jain Immersion Program". The American Bazaar. 30 July 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Vardhamana Charitable Foundation". Cause IQ. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "About Us". Vardhamana Charitable Foundation. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Drs. Jasvant & Meera Modi Fund Vegan Studies Professorship". The American Bazaar. 20 May 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ahimsa Award". Wikipedia. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Ahimsa Day". Institute of Jainology. Retrieved 19 August 2026.

External links

Retrieved from "https://wikitia.com/index.php?title=Dr._Jasvant_Modi&oldid=231578"