AIIMS faculty angry over irregularities

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 18.

The Faculty Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has taken a strong note of ``irregularities'' in the functioning of the Institute and in faculty appointments pertaining specifically to irregular extension in service to certain superannuating faculty while a large number of ad hoc facility are languishing, some for as long as eight years.

``Consequent to recent meetings of the Governing Body of the Institute, rumours regarding the issue of extension/re-employment of faculty members have been circulating. Many members of FAIMS have expressed the concern about the possible fall-out of such decisions,'' Dr. Manoj Singh, FAIMS, General Secretary, told reporters here today.

In this regard, the FAIMS convened its General Body meeting recently. ``Members expressed concern about the highly irregular employment of some professors which would have repercussions and damage severely the working atmosphere at AIIMS,'' Dr. Singh said.

Some of the possible fall-outs of this ``grant of irregular extension in service'' are blocking of posts of Professor, stifling of younger faculty, hampering developments of newer areas of research, deteriorating harmony, personal relationships and working environment in the departments concerned and blocking of movement in faculty housing.

It was felt by FAIMS members that these will affect working at AIIMS in a major way. ``We strongly feel that there should be no re-employment/extension to superannuating faculty members as this will adversely affect the working environment of AIIMS,'' Dr. Singh said.

As regards appointment of ad hoc assistant professors, the FAIMS filed a case in the Delhi High Court in 1993 against the Government's decision of 50 per cent reservation. ``The Court has never prevented AIIMS from holding interviews. However, the process has still not been initiated thereby continuing the anguish of the concerned assistant professors whose careers have been hanging in mid-air for years.''

Urging the authorities to take immediate steps to solve these problems, FAIMS has also taken umbrage at the attitude of the Health Minister, who is the President of AIIMS, under whose directives the superannuating facility were being re-employed. ``The FAIMS has tried to meet the AIIMS President several times but has been fobbed off. We feel it is a sad state of affairs if the President of the Institute is inaccessible to the faculty.''

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