Chandra Mohan Gulhati was born on October 18, 1940, at Karor, District Dera Ismail Khan, in the Punjab (now in Pakistan). His family migrated to Indore during Partition and his early schooling was in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his MBBS from MGM Medical College, Indore, and was later awarded a post-graduate diploma from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a Master of Science (in Internal Medicine) in examinations conducted by the Royal College of Physicians, UK.