Recruitment process for 240 faulty members initiated: AIIMS Patna

Patna: With 54 faculty members going, as against the sanctioned faculty strength of 305, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna, will soon be publishing an advertisement for recruitment of around 240 positions in its medical faculty. The first round of recruitment took place in July 2013.

The departments to be covered for this recruitment exercise are pre and para-clinical and clinical departments. The faculty recruitment for trauma and emergency might take a back seat as the authorities are yet not clear on its procedural implementation.

According to informed sources 52 posts of professors, 48 of additional professors, 85 of associate professors and 109 posts of assistant professors, would be advertised across all departments.

A bulk of the recruitment would be for clinical departments, wherein 45 posts of professors, 41 of additional professors, 75 of associate professors and 90 of assistant professors, are likely to be advertised, sources added.

Clinical departments in which recruitment of faculty is likely to take place include: general surgery general medicine, gynaecology and obstetrics, orthopaedics, (ENT), paediatrics, pulmonary medicine, otorhinolaryngology and tuberculosis.

Four posts of professors, six of additional professors, four of associate professors and 10 of assistant professors are likely to be filled in the para-clinical departments, including microbiology, pathology, community medicine, pharmacology, physical medicine and rehabilitation , toxicology and forensic medicine.

Three posts of professors, one of additional professor, six of associate professors and nine of assistant professors are open to recruitment in pre-clinical departments like physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry.

"We will advertise in the coming week for almost all the remaining faculty positions. However, we may not fill up all the posts we advertise if we do not get the right candidates. For, having good faculty members is important for the growth of an institute," Dr PK Singh, Director, AIIMS-Patna told HT

Requisite degree and experience might merit an interview call, but selection of a candidate would depend on whether one fulfills the academic and research criteria stipulated by the interview panel, clarified Mr. Singh.

The selection committee will be headed by Dr SK Sarin, Director Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, , also a former chairman of the board of governors of the Medical Council of India(MCI).the Committee will include other experts as well. Director AIIMS-Patna will be its Member-Secretary.

Interestingly, the 2015 faculty recruitment was clouded in controversy due to the raising of ceiling on the upper age limit, without the institute body's approval. The body is the highest sanctioning body of AIIMS.

Interestingly, the advertisement published in February 2015, was reopened in December, the same year;however without the age bar. This led to Anil Kishore Yadav, Deputy Director (administration), raise a voice of protest.

Dr Sarin in response to it, cancelled the entire recruitment process. To top it all, 16 of the initially recruited 66 faculty appointments, between August 2012 and July 2013, are believed to be carrying dubious credentials. It is alleged that some of them do not have the basic qualifying credentials or experience, while one of the recruited is over age, but has still been taken on.