Several faculty posts stand referred to erstwhile PSC
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, May 13: Due to unprecedented delay in constituting first Public Service Commission (PSC) of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, candidates who have applied for various entry level and other faculty posts in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) across the UT are in extreme distress as Government seems to be completely non-serious in constituting the premier recruitment agency even after six months of winding up of the erstwhile J&K Public Service Commission.
The Jammu Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) was wound up in first fortnight of November 2019 after reorganization of J&K State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. As per the J&K Reorganization Act 2019, the JKPSC was announced to continue to be recruiting agency for various posts in J&K UT while recruitments in Ladakh would be done by the Union Public Service Commission.
Official sources told Excelsior that many faculty posts at the level of entry in various disciplines i.e. Lecturer in GMC Jammu/Srinagar and Assistant Professor posts in new Medical Colleges of J&K UT stand referred to JKPSC before it was dissolved in November 2019. “Further, against many posts of Lecturer/Assistant Professor in both old and new Medical Colleges, interviews were conducted but results/recommendations could not be issued by JKPSC while against several advertised posts, interviews were deferred indefinitely,” they added.
Sources informed that various departments like General Medicine and Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Blood Bank and Forensic Medicine in GMC Jammu and Chest Diseases and Blood Bank Department in GMC Srinagar are facing deficiency of faculty at entry level but as the Commission continues to remain non-functional, the entry level posts in two GMCs could not be filled up while they already stand referred to the erstwhile Commission.
They further informed that posts of Assistant Professors for various subjects were advertized by PSC in 2017 and after more than two and half years, the interviews were finally conducted by the Commission in the month of first week of November 2019 for the subjects of Clinical Bio chemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Medicine and some of the departments of super-specialty but they could not be wound up.
“There is dire need of clearing DPC proposals of new and old Medical Colleges of GMC Srinagar and GMC Jammu with immediate effect so that faculty may attain the higher posts in sustentative capacity and various vacant posts (both at higher and lower level) can be filled up and new vacancy can created for young and eligible doctors who are unemployed and are waiting for their turn desperately,” they said, adding, DPC of faculty of new medical colleges is also important as this will help these colleges in grant of final recognition at 5th year of final MCI inspection.
Sources said that MCI invites every year enhancement of PG seats under 10 A (Regular Scheme). But if such faculty, deficiency at the entry level continues to exist for the want of appointment at entry level and clearance of DPC proposal at higher posts, it will be difficult for many departments to have maximum units in place to claim for maximum Post Graduate seats in the academic year 2021-2022 especially in the clinical side.
“For the want of PSC in place, Department of Health and Medical Education have to introduce new academic/adhoc arrangement in the form of ‘visiting faculty’ to fill gap for faculty requirement in Medical Colleges in line of MCI recommendations to show head count over and above 2/3rd requirement of mandatory faculty but ‘visiting faculty’ cannot be counted as eligible guides as per University of J&K as well as MCI norms,” they rued.
Sources said the candidates who have applied for various faculty posts or have appeared in exams/interviews conducted by the erstwhile recruitment body are in distress and running from pillar to post to know the fate of their exams and interviews but the Government is yet to start the process of constituting the PSC.
“Recently, Government had ordered appointment of BR Sharma (a retired IAS officer) as Chairman of J&K PSC but withdrew the order within two hours as it was an administrative blunder on the part of the Government,” sources regretted and hoped that Government will show some seriousness and soon start process of constituting JKPSC.
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