PGIMER director selection: Candidates seem to have been ‘deided in advance’, says SC/ST panel

In its order on the selection process after the final hearing in the case on Thursday for which senior health ministry and PGI officials appeared before it, the commission said shortlisting cannot be done on the basis of “suitability”.

The commission’s order is not binding on the government, but Health Ministry officials said that as it was a constitutional body, they could not ignore it.

“There are some rules and regulations which are to be followed such as merit, seniority list, experience and length of service. In view of Article 338 of the Constitution of India, and being a constitutional authority, the National Commission of Schedule Castes recommended that the Secretary Health and Family Welfare [C K Mishra] may review the selection panel so that justice is done,” Commission member Ishwar Singh told Chandigarh Newsline in the evening.

Singh also stated that “commission is of the view that the names of the shortlisted doctors in the panel seem to have been decided in advance”, even before the panel was formed.

The commission had recently put the selection process on hold after they received a complaint from an SC and ST body of PGI alleging discrimination in the selection process against SC candidates. A search and selection committee headed by Mishra, formed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, had recommended a panel of three PGI doctors after conducting interview of 26 applicants from the country. Dr Anil Bhansali, head of Department of Endocrinology, was on the top of the panel, followed by Dr Meenu Singh, who is from the Department of Paediatrics, and Dr Jagat Ram, head, Advance Eye Centre, were recommended by the selection committee.

Last month, when Health Secretary Mishra appeared before the commission, he had said that they used “merit and suitability” to select the panel.

Ishwar Singh, however, said the commission is not satisfied with the process. “Commission has not accepted that the suitability be the only factor used for the shortlisting,” he said.

Singh stated that Dr Jagat Ram, who is at third position in the selection panel, has “more experience, research score and awards than the first two on the list”.

The shortlist triggered resentment among the PGI faculty who have raised questions about the shortlisted doctors. Of the three shortlisted candidates, according to senior faculty members, one of them (Dr Meenu Singh) is junior in terms of professor seniority list while another candidate (Dr Bhansali) had faced a vigilance probe earlier.

Health Secretary Mishra was unavailable for comment.