Vajpayee Medical College faculty recruitment: Candidates challenge appointments in court

Several candidates have moved the Karnataka High Court challenging the faculty appointments at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institution (formerly known as Bowring Hospital), alleging widespread corruption in the selection process.

They claimed that unqualified candidates were selected and that the interview marks were manipulated to benefit some.

A candidate has taken legal action against the appointment of an associate professor to the paediatric department at ABVMCRI, alleging that she did not meet the required criteria.

While the college requires an applicant to the associate professor position to have four years’ experience as assistant professor at the time of its notification, the candidate in question was short of the requirement by more than a month. Even during the date of the interview, she was short by a week.

ABVMCRI Director-Dean Dr Manoj Kumar clarified that the candidate was allowed to appear on humanitarian grounds since she appeared under the Physically Handicapped (PH) category.

The petitioner, who also falls in the PH category, cites the instance of a candidate being rejected by the Chikkaballapura Institute of Medical Sciences in 2021 because he fell short of qualification by five days. ABVMCRI’s bylaws also do not allow relaxation of minimum qualifications.

Another candidate in WP 1313/2023 before the high court challenged the appointments of assistant professors in community medicine.

Despite securing full nine marks in the academic performance, the petitioner was asked just one question in the interview and was awarded just two out of six marks so that another person could be hired, says the petition.

When the candidate filed objections, ABVMCRI had agreed to reveal the criteria for grading interviews, but didn’t do. Dr Kumar told DH: “Interview marks are the interview panel’s decision, and they won’t be aware of the person’s academic performance.”

ABVMCRI also told candidates who asked for video recordings of the interview that it did not record the proceedings because the government did not mandate it.

Dr Kumar said that some interviews were recorded but not all due to technical issues.

Another case, WP 1256/2023, is challenging the recruitment process for the professor post in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBG) department in the high court.

Regarding the two writ petitions, the high court said the appointment would be subject to its final order.

Dr Kumar said around 25 candidates raised objections to the recruitment.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said his office did not receive complaints regarding corruption and the college had addressed the
objections.