Merit and seniority to be given equal weightage for PGIMER Director: Simla MP

Chandigarh: There is an opinion circulating in the corridors of power, with members of parliament saying both ‘merit and seniority’need to be given equal weight age, when it comes to the selection of a candidate for the Director’s post of the Post Graduate Institute of Education and Research, Chandigarh. PGIMER is one of the esteemed medical institutions of the country making it all the more necessary that the selection be done with utmost care.

A recent report in HT points out that Virendra Kashyap, a Lok Sabha MP from Shimla raised a dissenting voice, on the issue of seniority having been overlooked in the short listing of names, for the PGIMER appointment. Mr. Kashyap has taken up the issue with both the Union health ministry and the Prime Minister, who is the final consenting head for this selection.

“I read a report in HT on the director issue and then inquired into the matter. Following this, I sent the clipping of the report to the union health minister and Prime Minister and requested them to look into the matter,” said Virender Kashyap.

“Merit and seniority both should be considered while selecting the name for the post,” he added.

Earlier, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Lok Sabha MP from Anandpur Sahib, and a senior member of the PGI institute body, had also written to the Union health ministry, seeking a review of the selection process.

The present short listed names for the Director’s position, in the order of merit are: Dr Anil Bhansali, Head of Endocrinology Department; Dr Meenu Singh, Professor, Pediatrics and Head, Tele-medicine Centre and Dr Jagat Ram, Head, Advanced Eye Center.

In terms of seniority Dr Bhansali’s rank in the 30's,Dr Meenu Singh’s rank in the 50's, while Dr Jagat Ram’s heads the list by being in the top 10 seniority bracket. Approved by the PGI institute body, the file now awaits perusal by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), for final selection. The appointment seems to have encountered a large share of controversies with opposition piling from different ends

Read Also : Chandigarh: PGIMER Director Appointment takes a new twist

Read Also: PGI director appointment: Health Secretary appears before Commission