PMO seeks clarification on shortlisting procedure for AIIMS top job

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has sought a clarification from the health ministry on the process followed in shortlisting of names for the post of AIIMS director.

The PMO asked for the explanation after several senior faculty members of the prestigious institute approached it with a complaint that seniority has been bypassed in choosing the names for the top job.

The Institute Body, which is the AIIMS' top decision-making body headed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, has recommended HOD of paediatrics Dr V K Paul, HOD of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorder Dr Randeep Guleria and professor of cardiology Dr Balram Bhargava for the top post, out of 53 applicants.

A meeting was held between top health ministry officials and the PMO on Wednesday and a final decision in the matter is expected in a few days, sources said.

According to a senior health ministry official, some AIIMS faculty members had met the principal secretary to the Prime Minister and the cabinet secretary over the matter.

"They claimed that people who are higher in seniority have been ignored," the official said.

"The PMO has sought to know what criterion was adopted in shortlisting the names of three candidates and why names of Dr S C Sharma HoD of ENT, Dr S K Panda HOD of Pathology and Dr Subrata Sinha who is the Director of National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar were dropped," the official said.

The official also said a final call in the matter will be taken by the Prime Minister.

The selection-cum-search panel, led by Health Secretary C K Mishra, in its meeting on January 24, in addition to Dr Paul, Dr Guleria and Dr Bhargava had also considered Chitra Sarkar, professor of pathology, Sharma and Sinha for the post.

Dr Panda is third in the seniority list of AIIMS professors, followed by Dr V K Behl at fourth, Dr Sarkar at fifth, Suborto Sinha at sixth and Sharma at 17th position.

The shortlisted candidates Dr Paul is at 26th position, while Dr Guleria is at 34 and Bhargava is at 77th in the seniority list.

Fifty-three doctors, including 35 from outside AIIMS, had applied for the post.

It has already been a month since Dr M C Mishra has retired and currently Dr Balram Airan is the acting director.