CAT Seeks Centre’s Response on Doctor’s Challenge to Unjust AIIMS Faculty Selection

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has sought the Centre’s response regarding a petition filed by Dr. Vijay Kumar, challenging his non-selection for the regular faculty post of Assistant Professor in Geriatric Medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

The tribunal issued a notice to the Centre and AIIMS, directing them to respond by February 5, 2024.

The notice was accepted by Mr. VSR Krishna and Mr. Pradeep Kumar Sharma, representing their respective respondents.

Dr. Vijay Kumar claimed that his non-selection was arbitrary and should be set aside.

According to the plea, AIIMS, Delhi, had advertised multiple regular faculty positions in various disciplines in 2021.

Dr. Vijay Kumar, considering himself eligible, applied under the OBC category for the Assistant Professor position.

However, he was not selected, and his grievance presented to the institute’s governing body was rejected.

The plea highlighted that at the time of the AIIMS advertisement, Dr. Vijay Kumar was already working as an Assistant Professor in the geriatric medicine department on a contractual basis.

Despite meeting the eligibility criteria and being called for an interview on October 9, 2022, his name was not recommended by the Standing Selection Committee for the OBC category.

The post was ultimately decided to be kept vacant.

The petition, filed through lawyer Rajender Yadav, argued that a comparison of academic qualifications and experiences between Dr. Vijay Kumar and the selected candidate under the unreserved category revealed biased and unfair decision-making by the Selection Committee.

The plea asserted that the selection committee and the governing body’s decisions were biased and unfair, as evident from the initially recorded marks after the interview.

The petition sought a directive to review the records of the selection process.

Furthermore, the plea contended that biases and malafide intent in the selection process were evident from the fact that the same seven-member Selection Committee had earlier recommended Dr. Vijay Kumar’s name for the Faculty post of Assistant Professor in Geriatric Medicine on a contractual basis.

The petition emphasized that, given his experience with AIIMS, New Delhi, the Selection Committee should have recommended Dr. Vijay Kumar for the regular post of Assistant Professor in Geriatric Medicine.

It also highlighted that no shortcomings, complaints, or reports had ever been made against Dr. Vijay Kumar during his contractual duties as Assistant Professor in Geriatric Medicine.