‘Rules flouted to appoint 164 doctors in AIIMS’

NEW DELHI: The Centre has admitted in the Supreme Court that rules were “blatantly breached” by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the recruitment of 164 assistant professors in 2003 of whom about 84 have been promoted to associate professors.

Even the time spent by the assistant professors in other institutes, including outside the country, were counted by the AIIMS in promoting the faculty members, the Centre said in an affidavit filed before the apex court.

The affidavit was filed in response to a directive from a bench of Justices S B Sinha and Markandeya Katju, which had asked the Delhi High Court to examine afresh a PIL which complained that 164 assistant professors were illegally appointed by the institute in violation of rules.

According to the Centre, it has decided to have a re-look at the entire issue relating to selection of assistant professors and the promotion of ad hoc assistant professors selected through the regular selection board under the Assessment Promotion Scheme in 2003.