SGPGI is at it again

IN A major act of defiance of Raj Bhawan orders, the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) on Monday started the selection process for the posts of professors in various departments of the institute.

Quoting the SGPGIMS Act, the Governor had repeatedly set aside advertisements, both in recent and distant past, that invited applications from candidates having 14 years experience (post MD).

Interestingly, the PGI Act puts the minimum qualifications at 10 years (post MD) and not 14 years. In that way, the ads only narrowed down the selection procedure, denying opportunity to many potential candidates for the post and at the same time benefiting a certain section of candidates. The origin of the issue dates back to 2003 when posts were advertised asking for a minimum qualification of 14 years. But an exception was made for the post of professor in Hematology department during the selection process. Here Dr Sonia Nityanad with 12 years experience was selected for the post.

Dr KN Prasad and Dr Prabhat Tiwari along with a few other doctors of the SGPGIMS challenged the appointment by sending a representation to the then Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri. The Governor upheld the appointment of Dr Nityanand quoting the SGPGIMS Act that it mentions the minimum qualification as 10 years. The matter was settled.  But in 2004, the SGPGIMS advertised posts of professors with 14 years experience as the cut off limit. Quoting the Governor’s order in case of Dr Nityanand, two doctors of the institute, Dr CK Pandey and Dr S Gambhir again went to the Governor saying if the Raj Bhawan had already (quoting the Act) directed that appointments be made on the basis of  ‘10 years’ criterion, the PGI should be restrained from making appointments on the basis of ‘14 years’ experience. The Governor quashed the advertisement.Now again on 10 March 2006, an advertisement was issued asking for 14 years minimum qualification for the posts of professors. 

This forced Dr CK Pandey, Dr Anil Agarwal (both of PGI) and Dr Surya Kant from KGMU to petition Governor TV Rajeswar. Again the Raj Bhawan stayed it. The Governor as well as the Governing Body Meeting (dated September 24, 2005) had directed that in case the PGI administration intended to make 14 years to be the cut off limit for the posts of professors, ‘then necessary amendments in SGPGIMS Act 1983 should be done. Director PGI Dr Mahapatra could not be contacted for his version .