The Hindu : New Delhi News : Senior faculty members of AIIMS raise objection

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 10, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Senior faculty members of AIIMS raise objection

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Extension to the ad hoc appointments of assistant professors in various disciplines at the Institute

NEW DELHI: The issue of ad hoc appointments and regularisation of 164 assistant professors had rocked the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 2003.

Now with a recent memorandum (January 20, 2006) granting extension to the ad hoc appointments of assistant professors in various disciplines at the Institute, senior faculty members have raised objections to the appointments.

"A case in point is that of an appointment to the ENT Department of the Institute where the candidate despite not being found fit by the Standing Selection Committee (SSC) for the post as per a letter (July 14, 2003) by the then Professor and Head ENT has now been taken in. The Head of Department had at that time also instructed that AIIMS should advertise for ad hoc appointments as well as for regular appointments so that fresh candidates are given an opportunity to apply for the vacant post in ENT and the best possible talent is employed at the Institute,'' said a senior AIIMS faculty member.

Faculty members are also worried about the fact that the Institute rarely follows the stipulated norm of six months or till the regular appointment is made for terminating the services of an ad hoc appointment.

What adds to the problem is the fact that sometimes appointments are made when there are not even sanctioned posts in various departments.

"The Institute has examples of at least two physicians who have continued on ad hoc positions for more than two years now even when they were declared unfit for appointments to these positions on regular basis by the SSC of AIIMS,'' said one faculty member.

Senior faculty members have also challenged the entire selection process on the grounds of irregularity and backdoor entry by mediocre candidates through the ad hoc channel.

"This practice brings down the quality and standard of services provided at the Institute. For ad hoc appointments, the Institute director recommends certain names that are approved by AIIMS President who is the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. These ad hoc appointment are unduly continued for a long period of time to gain articulate sympathy for the candidate before SSC,'' added another faculty member.

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