In Hurry to add 500 MBBS students, JnK on massive faculty hiring drive

The last date for applying for professors and associate professors is December 1.

Srinagar: With the purpose to attract faculty for recruitment at five of its upcoming medical colleges with over 500 MBBS seats in the state, the Jammu and Kashmir Health department is mulling over to enhance the retirement age for the faculty from 63 and 65 years to 70 years.

This decision has been taken keeping in mind the shortage of experienced medical teachers essential for running Under-Graduate (UG) medical course MBBS, as per norms of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Speaking on the considered increase of the retirement age, Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo confirmed to the local daily, Greater Kashmir, "A proposal for increasing the retirement age for associate professor and professor posts in five new medical colleges is under consideration."

The last date for applying is December 1. The proposed colleges have vacancies professors and associate professors.

"We are hopeful that the new age of retirement will be 70 years and the requisite amendments (in recruitment rules) will be made accordingly," he said.

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At present, the retirement age for new medical colleges is 65 years, while the upper age limit for applying is 63 years. On this, an official said that the short period for which a faculty member can serve post-retirement in the state was a major obstruction in attracting faculty.

In the year 2014, the Union Health Ministry announced new medical colleges in Baramulla, Anantnag, Rajouri, Doda and Kathua districts. Now the medical colleges are so close being established, the state government in the past two months is in overdrive to start the first batch of 500 MBBS students from 2019.

Recently, the government announced that steps are being taken for the same. However, delays in meeting infrastructure and manpower requirements have put a question mark over the aim. In addition, these posts must be filled immediately to achieve the targeted approval by the MCI for the upcoming academic session, according to Greater Kashmir.

In view of that, the Health Department had floated advertisements for the hiring of senior faculty members, including professors and associate professors for the Medical College Anantnag on an academic arrangement in the first week of November. Applications have also been sought for filling the posts of Registrars, Demonstrators, Tutors.

Official sources informed Tribune that the government was going to pay a consolidated salary of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 to the faculty members.

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However, the recruitment process met sudden backlash from the faculty, due to its one year contract. The professors have rejected the state government terms for posts in these new medical colleges, calling them as an attempt to extend bureaucratic influence on them instead of putting in place a high-quality academic system.

Speaking to Tribune on the hiring, the retired professors and associate professors of medical institutions of J&K, currently working outside the state at huge salaries stated that they won't get enticed with the state government's one-year deal.

They stated that they are willing to compromise on the salaries but unlikely to return for a one-year contract when they can work in private colleges outside state up to 70 years of age and at much more pay.

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