Kerala: Medical College postings ridden by alleged irregularities

Palakkad:The Institute of Integrated Medical Science(IIMS) at Yakkara is once again in the eye of a storm. This time it is the doctors who had applied for the post of Junior residents who are alleging irregularities in the selection process, including rank list manipulation. The institute is already under a Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau investigation for recruitment irregularities in the case of 174 non teaching staff, during the United democratic regime.

The allegations are taking on mammoth proportions due to the delay on the part of the present LDF Government in bringing the institute under the direct control of Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and asking the Public Service Commission (PSC) to fill the vacancies. Both of the above tasks were promises made by the LDF during the last term assembly campaign.

The institute was set up by the UDF Government with funds from the Department for Welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the IIMS was started with the vision of providing more educational opportunities for SCs/STs. It was later brought under the administrative control of a Cooperative Department initiated Charitable Society..

The present allegations of appointment irregularities has drawn the ire of organizations representing Dalits and tribals, who have benefited little from the Rs. 800 crore institution (started with the SC/ST welfare fund), in areas of health and education reports the Hindu.

The ones who did well in the written test, but did not clear the interviews and therefore failed to get appointed allege high level conspiracy leading to the less qualified being appointed, without the applicable law being implemented.

13 of the 15 applicants with a good written test score were unable to find their names in the final recruitment list. It is alleged that candidates who scored 95^th and 96^th ranks were seen in the first fifteen in the final list. Candidates complained of being questioned on non medical questions by the interview board.They said that the board overlooked the mark lists too.

K Vinod Kumar, a candidate who stood 11^th in the written test and was ranked 75^th after the interview said that the college authorities had confirmed that they had instructions from the top to ignore the written test while preparing the final list.