by Raashid Andrabi
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department Civil Secretariat has issued a new government order on the selection criteria for engagement of faculty and other positions in all government medical colleges and government dental colleges of J&K. The new criteria have been formulated by a committee of principals from all government medical and dental colleges and have been accepted by the administrative department.
The new selection criteria, issued under Government Order No.282-JK (HME) of 2023, dated April 4, 2023, are applicable for engagement on faculty posts, including Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor/Lecturers, and Registrars/Demonstrators/ Tutors in all Government Medical Colleges and Government Dental Colleges of J&K.
The assessment criteria for selection for the post of Professor have been divided into three categories. The first category includes academic qualifications, with 50 points allotted on a pro-rata basis concerning marks in MBBS/BDS. The second category covers special attributes, such as teaching experience as Professor/Associate Professor in government-recognized institutions. The weightage for teaching experience will be calculated at one point for every completed quarter year beyond the basis of eligible teaching experience. The third category relates to research publications, with at least four publications required, including two as Associate Professors.
However, the new government order has received criticism from doctors from national medical colleges across India. In response to the order, doctors have demanded an unambiguous equivalence to the scoring system to equate the marks or percentage of MBBS, or the implementation of a true competitive examination in the form of MCQs, to be put in place for these posts.
“The Criteria of including MBBS Marks on the selection of Registrar & Consultants is highly impractical. This undermines all the extra qualifications & research work by Doctors applying for the job,” stated the FAIMA Doctors Association.
The spokesperson for Resident Doctors Association GMC Srinagar has released a statement calling for the government of the union territory of J&K and its policy-making bodies to reconsider the decision and revoke the unjust order.
The doctors have expressed concern that subjecting marks percentages from different evaluation systems to compete under a single umbrella will create an unjust and unethical platform for future recruitments of Registrars, leading to alarming repercussions and sidelining of genuine competitors. “It has been highlighted that there are differences in grading practices between universities and countries, which is the main reason for the discrepancy in MBBS marks.
In light of this, there have been calls for a standardized MCQ paper to be used as the main criteria for selecting candidates for registrarship, medical officer, and other faculty positions,” said a doctor from a national medical college.
The doctors have implored the government to take immediate action to rectify the situation and ensure that future recruitments are based on a fair and just system. It is unfair to rely solely on MBBS marks as the main criteria for selection, given the variability in grading practices. A standardized MCQ paper would be a more objective and fair way to evaluate candidates for these positions.
This new government order has been deemed unjust and discriminatory towards the doctors who have trained at national medical colleges. They have demanded that the government take immediate action to rectify the situation and ensure that future recruitments are based on a fair and just system.
