Faculty members at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have been forced to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the gross violation of reservation policy being practiced by the institute.
The trend has continued despite repeated complaints and in violation of the constitutional rights of the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes/ Other Backward Classes, souces said.
The Standing Committee of Parliament on Health and family Welfare has stated on August 11that the reservation policy in accordance with the laid down provisions was not implemented.
“When the reservation policy was accepted, it was introduced in the form of ‘floating policy’ which led to huge under-representation in the recruitment of SC, ST and later on OBC candidates”, the committee report says.
According to the sources, AIIMS in its affidavit before the High Court clearly states that institute violated reservation policy since 2003 selection. “Then, why director of AIIMS is saying that reservation policy is followed in letter and spirit and there is no deviation,” the sources said. It is very unfortunate that he is trying to mislead the Parliamentary committee, added the source.
“Why there was no mention of Throat Committee, its report came in 2006, committee under the chairman ship of Dr. Karan Singh Yadav, report came in 2007 and recommendation of special report on 2008 National Commission for Schedule Caste (NCSC) on the incidents of caste based discrimination and harassment and action to taken be taken AIIMS,” the sources said. That mean, it was not presented before the Parliament committee, the source said.
According to AIIMS agenda 146th governing body, the institute has failed to implement reservation policy in the letter and spirit of the constitution, there is under representation of SC/ST/OBC in the faculty.
“In the last selection held in 2003, for 170 posts assistant professors only 40per cent of the advertised 68 posts were filled up even though suitable candidates available. Since no relaxation and concessions were given in terms of qualifications and experiences, all those reserved category candidates who got selected should be considered to have made it an open merit. This practice of adjusting meritorious SC/ST/OBC candidates against reserved seats in patently illegal. “Mechanism should be developed within the Institute to prevent and correct cases of caste justice. Those who are found guilty by the Throat Committee must be prosecuted under the provisions of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.”
“The reservation policy of GOI should be implemented in letter and spirit which is unfortunately not being done in the medical institute, “ says committee report. It also says that the instructions on reservation were not adhered to in the Institute since the year 1994 which had resulted in substantive shortfall of reservation.
“There was no post-graduate reservation-cum-preference scheme for undergraduates of the medical institute. They are not eligible for PG seats in States including Delhi. So, they are left with three options to choose AIIMS PG seats, All India PG that give 50 per cent seats in all the colleges and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh which is creating brain drain,” said the report and demanded to adopt a model which favoured retention of undergraduate students in AIIMS on the lines of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER).
For direct recruits, the committee has sought the transparent selection process with 25 per cent seats reserved for direct lateral entry to bring in fresh candidates and to avoid stagnation at the faculty level. It also sought the removal of “contractual appointments” as it creates distortions in the system since a person does not have any security, any kind of idealism in his medical practice, hence all the appointment should be done on a permanent basis on that there is job security and career development.
“An expert committee with representatives of Ministry and department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) should be set up and the reservation issues should be resolved once and from all and then a fresh beginning should be made as per the policies of GOI.”