CEC asked to intervene in AIIMS row

The faculty members supporting the scheme maintain that the AIIMS governing body had begun the exercise to allow merit-based `direct’ appointments to these posts (rather than filling them up through the promotion scheme, which leads to the breeding of mediocrity) at least six months ago to attract meritorious candidates from all over the country.

“Going ahead with the interview process for these appointments, therefore, does not constitute any violation of election norms,” they said today in a petition addressed to the CEC to counter the assertion that making such appointments so close to the elections violated the election code.

The AIIMS governing body is scheduled to come to a decision on January 14, wherein the findings of the sub-committee, that was formed to examine the issue, will be taken up and fresh dates for the interview will be finalised.

A section of the Faculty Association of AIIMS opposing these appointments had sent letters to the CEC, AIIMS president and Union Minister of State for Health Renuka Chaudhary, asking them to postpone the interview till the elections are over.

These members apprehend that the scheme to make direct appointments on middle-level faculty positions of associate and additional professors will be used to promote certain “blue-eyed” candidates within AIIMS on an out-of-turn basis. Till now direct appointments were made only for the junior faculty post of assistant professor and the senior post of the professor.

“If an expert who wants to join AIIMS after spending, say, 10 years in an institute abroad, he would stand nochance since the avenues for middle-level posts here are closed due to the promotion scheme,” says Dr Arvind Kumar, adding that the scheme had caused a vaccum in the middle-level in several important departments after the incumbents quit.

His colleagues maintained that the scheme of an open competition amongst the internal and external candidates for appointments to middle-level posts gave the internal candidates an opportunity to constantly strive for excellence “in the hope of bagging the higher position in the competition, much before they would actually become eligible for a regular promotion on the same position.”

This, they feel, would work as a stimulus for the faculty members to give their best to the institute, besides giving outsiders a fair chance to apply for the middle-level posts as well. Those opposing the scheme are either unsure of their own capabilities or want reservations for various groups in this segment too, they say.