Citing violation of procedures, a group of doctors at AIIMS have sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to put on hold recruitment process for appointment of 37 professors in the country's premier medical institute, advertised over an year ago.
The doctors alleged that ongoing recruitment process violates the Centre's guidelines on representation of Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences authorities had on November, 2012 invited applications for 37 posts of professor. Of these advertised vacancies, 20 were for unreserved category, 13 for OBCs and four for SCs.
"It is pertinent to note that these faculty posts were advertised more than a year ago. The rule make it clear that delay of more than a year requires that AIIMS ought to advertise them again as a fresh pool of applicants eligible for these posts could apply." said the letter to the Prime Minister.
"Not doing so will automatically deny these potential applicants the opportunity to compete. This not only limit the choice of the selection committee to select candidates from limited pool, but is also violative of the Law," it said.
AIIMS reservations roster is faulty and not consistent with the guidelines of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), said the letter written by a Forum for Rights and Equality, comprising all doctors working there.
"We have reiterated time and again that the reservation roster prepared by the AIIMS is faulty and not in consistent with the DoPT's guidelines in terms of merging (grouping) of small cadre posts. The current roster grossly undermines the representation of SCs/STs/OBCs.
"Even the Health Ministry Letter dated November, 2013 has asked that the roster has to be as per law. Therefore, we demand that till such time the roster is duly corrected, the selection interviews put on hold, and posts are re-advertise as per the amended roster," it said.
The doctors also demanded that since reservation in teaching posts in super-speciality is upheld, the government should consider for providing reservation in education in super-speciality category.
"If this is not done, from where will SC/ST/OBC candidates come for the teaching posts. In this scenario these posts will be de-reserved and filled by the general candidates. This fit the example of giving with one hand and taking away with another. This is inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution," the letter said.
