PGI’s SFC meeting: In-principle nod to MBBS programme, multi-level parking, more MD seats

“This is a very important committee, as only those agenda items that are approved by SFC, will go to GB. Today, we presented about 20 agenda items, and 17 were approved, with no rejections, and some will go as proposals to the health ministry. We will have another SFC, virtually this time, to put forward some more agenda items,” said Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, Deputy Director Administration, PGI. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired the SFC meeting attended by PGI director Vivek Lal and DDA Dhawan among other senior members.

Other agenda items that were approved include renovation, repair of employee homes and the critical care block, making of the boundary wall of Sarangpur extension centre, 11 MD seats for blood transfusion department, a few seats for residents for medical oncology, paediatric critical care and a few non-faculty posts for the institute of telemedicine.

“The vacant posts of professors and assistant professors have to be cleared by the National SC Commission. The matter is under consideration,” Dhawan said.

SC Commission seeks PGI response

In 2019, the practical examinations for DM\MCh entrance at PGI were abolished by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, after the system was declared unethical by J P Nadda, the then health minister and president of the institute. There was a proposal for the resumption of the DM practical exams last year, when an agenda item was put forth for approval to the standing academic committee. The doctors who were appearing for the entrance exam had written to the PMO against the proposal by the PGI administration. A number of complaints of discrepancy between the marks obtained in the theory and practical component of these entrance examinations by examinees within and outside the institute were received and investigated by the vigilance branch of the PGI, with inputs from the academic section.

The investigations revealed that in several cases the examinees had been rated poorly in the practical examination even when they had scored high in the theory examination.

While putting forward the case to the ministry to do away with the practical component of the examination, the former deputy director of administration had cited instances and complaints by examinees of bias and favoritism, where the highest placed candidate had been given marks as high as 19-20 out of 20 in the practical examination by the department concerned whereas another candidate has been marked as low as four-five out of 20, when the candidate had outscored the former in the theory examination by a significant margin.

The system was abolished when the investigation showed that the marks being awarded in the practical component of these entrance examinations were often arbitrary and not reflective of the merit and academic potential of the candidates concerned.

The agenda item of restarting the interview\practical component of DM\MCH entrance was going to be put forward in the upcoming General Body meeting of the institute on April 10.

On April 5, a petition-complaint/information was received by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes from Dr Prem Shankar and others. The commission has decided to investigate and inquire into the matter to protect the interests of reserve category candidates. The commission, in a letter to the Director of PGI, has desired that no further action be taken in the matter till the finalisation of this case. It has requested the institute to submit the facts and information on the action within 15 days of receipt of the letter. According to Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, DDA, PGI, they would respond to the letter in due course of time.