Kerala-based medical research institution SCTIMST marred over director post row

A leading medical science institution in Kerala, which was recently in the news for innovations in Covid-19 diagnostic tools, is now marred with a row over the director's post.

The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Thiruvananthapuram, which is under the Department of Science and Technology, is facing a crisis as the Central Administrative Tribunal on Wednesday stayed extension of current director Dr Asha Kishore for five more years.

SCTIMST governing body president Dr V K Saraswat, who is a member of NITI Aayog, had issued orders extending the term of Dr Kishore till her superannuation.

This was challenged by another faculty member of the institution and the CAT stayed the appointment citing that the government body or president had no powers to extend the term of director. The DST also objected the extension of Dr Kishore maintaining that the authority for extension of the director was with the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.

Sources associated with the institution said that the present row was sequel to the rift taking place in the institution over the last few years. The institution had developed scores of medical equipment during the last few years under Dr Kishore's leadership. GeneLAMP-N for swift and cheap Covid-19 test, RNA extraction kit for use during testing for detection of Covid-19, Covid-19 disinfection tunnel and Emergency Breathing Assistance System were some of the recent products that received much attention.

While a section opposed to her maintains that there was a lack of quality in the products and hence products like GeneLAMP-N did not get ICMR approval yet, a section that backs Dr Kishore suspects lobbying by medical equipment manufacture's lobby also.

In a letter sent to DST secretary Ashutosh Sharma on July 20, Dr Saraswat has strongly justified the decision to give extension to Dr Kishore. He pointed out that a letter sent by the DST in 2006 approving extension of then director K Mohandas had quoted the SCTIMST Act which says that the institute body appoint the director. He also pointed out a 2013 order of Kerala High Court that stated that ACC approval was not required for appointment of SCTIMST director.