Date:08/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/08/stories/2007050811740100.htm

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AIIMS Governing Body decides to issue show-cause notice to faculty

Special Correspondent

For casting aspersions on credibility of the Thorat Committee and its report

The AIIMS Director, Dr. P. Venugopal, coming out of the Governing Body meeting in New Delhi on Monday. — PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM

NEW DELHI: The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences Governing Body on Monday decided to issue a show-cause notice to the AIIMS Faculty Association for casting aspersions on the credibility of the Thorat Committee and validity of its report on discrimination against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students at the Institute.

The 11-member Governing Body also decided that Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss in his capacity as AIIMS president would take a final decision on hiring lawyers for the Institute or if any of the decisions of the panel were challenged in court.

The Thorat report was circulated to the members to enable them to study its findings and recommendations. It would be taken up for discussion subsequently to find ways and means to overcome the shortcomings.

Briefing reporters after a 90-minute meeting here on Monday, Union Health and Family Welfare Secretary Naresh Dayal said the Governing Body decided that the AIIMS administration recommend to the president a list of the panel of lawyers but the final decision to choose the lawyers would be made by the president, in consultation with the Institute Director.

Under normal circumstances, the Institute could hire its own lawyers but since in this case the Director seemed to be working at cross-purposes with the Governing Body, this step was necessary, the members said. However, this decision would not be applicable to Youth for Equality, who was fighting the Government over its reservation policy.

Importantly, Institute Director P. Venugopal had been asked to issue the show-cause to the AIIMS Faculty Association immediately and table the Action Taken Report within a fortnight, Mr. Dayal said. Even as Mr. Dayal said that the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere, members of the Faculty Association protested against the decision to issue the show-cause notice to them and shouted slogans against the Union Health Minister for his "dictatorial behaviour".

Besides calling upon the Director to implement the decisions taken at the previous meeting held on January 24, the members expressed their gratitude to Mr. Thorat for his report.

In his brief remarks, Mr. Thorat said the report was not directed against anyone but just aimed at ascertaining the reasons behind the divide between the students community. He urged the members not to politicise the issue. In a statement issued late at night, the Faculty Association, the Resident Doctors' Association and the Students' Union strongly condemned the move by certain members of the Governing Body to try and muzzle the voice of democracy on the campus