Faculty quota struck down,gaze shifts to existing posts

day after SC verdict: Officials study order to decide on AIIMS recruitments

A day after the Supreme Court squashed reservation in faculty posts for specialty and super-specialty courses in AIIMS and other medical and engineering colleges on a petition filed by the faculty association of the premier institute,confusion prevailed over the impact of the ruling on existing and future recruitment.

In particular,the recently concluded recruitment of nearly 100 assistant professors at AIIMS,and the ongoing hiring drives in six AIIMS-like institutes constituted under the AIIMS Act faced uncertainty.

A senior AIIMS official said,The judgment is silent on both these points. Its operative part simply puts the onus on Central and state governments,with no categorical direction on what institutes should do.

However,the official pointed out that in the first paragraph of the judgment the SC reiterated that in 2002,when the petition was first filed,the apex court had issued a notice stipulating that any appointments made thereafter would be tentative in nature until further orders.

Sources said the Health Ministry was taken by surprise since SC had taken such a broad view,binding direction from this petition filed only by AIIMS faculty to all medical and engineering colleges.

It will take us some time to assimilate the recruitment status in all government medical colleges. Then we may have to coordinate with HRD Ministry for engineering colleges, a Health Ministry official said.

Since both specialty and super-specialty courses had been categorically mentioned by the SC,sources said not only faculty posts in post-doctoral disciplines,such as neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery,but all post-graduate specialisations such as pathology,medicine,paediatrics and gynaecology would be included in the ambit.

Story continues below this ad

This will leave out only a handful of posts in AIIMS…,which require MBBS-level qualifications, the official said.

Senior officials in the Health Ministry said there may be a need to seek further legal opinion,after the judgment was properly analysed.

AIIMS director Dr R C Deka said, It will take time to examine all details after the government takes a position. It is too early for me to comment on the reservation issue. The SCs opinion that the very concept of reservation implies mediocrity is not true in all cases. It (reservation) is to empower people and bring inclusiveness.

Representatives of the AIIMS faculty association declined to comment.

Sources confirmed that senior leaders such as Sharad Yadav may address the media next week on the SC ruling.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram