FARIDKOT: Tough only 10 days are left for the three-year tenure of present vice-chancellor (VC) of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, ends, the Punjab government is yet to start the process to selecting his successor. On the other hand, six persons are learnt to have started lobbying for the coveted post.
The term of incumbent VC Dr Raj Bahadur, who is also eligible for reappointment, is coming to an end on December 22. Before joining at BFUHS, Dr Bahadur has served as the director-principal of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh and as the head of orthopaedics department at PGIMER, Chandigarh. Before him another doctor Shavinder Singh Gill was the VC of BFUHS for two terms from 2008 till November 4, 2014.
When contacted, Dr Bahadur said, "My term will expire on December 22. Making reappointment or selecting someone else is the prerogative of the state government."
Norms suggest that the process of selecting the VC is put in motion months before the post is to fall vacant. However, even the advertisement has not been issued thus far inviting applications from the suitable candidates. This is bound to delay the selection process.
Sources said the state government may ask Dr Bahadur to continue in the office till the selection process was completed or the Punjab governor, who is the chancellor of BFUHS, could take charge.
As per the Section 14(3) of the BFUHS Act, the VC shall be appointed preferably from amongst serving or retired eminent professionals from the field of health services education. The term of the VC is fixed to three years.
BFUHS was established by an act of the Punjab assembly in July 1998. It has eight medical colleges, 14 dental, 12 ayurvedic, 78 nursing, 11 physiotherapy and four homeopathic colleges affiliated to it. The advanced cancer diagnostics, treatment and research centre at Bathinda is also under BFUHS.
When contacted, health and medical education minister Brahm Mohindra said, "The process to select new VC will be put in motion soon. We are setting up a search committee in the medical education department and the advertisement will be issued soon."
The term of incumbent VC Dr Raj Bahadur, who is also eligible for reappointment, is coming to an end on December 22. Before joining at BFUHS, Dr Bahadur has served as the director-principal of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh and as the head of orthopaedics department at PGIMER, Chandigarh. Before him another doctor Shavinder Singh Gill was the VC of BFUHS for two terms from 2008 till November 4, 2014.
When contacted, Dr Bahadur said, "My term will expire on December 22. Making reappointment or selecting someone else is the prerogative of the state government."
Norms suggest that the process of selecting the VC is put in motion months before the post is to fall vacant. However, even the advertisement has not been issued thus far inviting applications from the suitable candidates. This is bound to delay the selection process.
Sources said the state government may ask Dr Bahadur to continue in the office till the selection process was completed or the Punjab governor, who is the chancellor of BFUHS, could take charge.
As per the Section 14(3) of the BFUHS Act, the VC shall be appointed preferably from amongst serving or retired eminent professionals from the field of health services education. The term of the VC is fixed to three years.
BFUHS was established by an act of the Punjab assembly in July 1998. It has eight medical colleges, 14 dental, 12 ayurvedic, 78 nursing, 11 physiotherapy and four homeopathic colleges affiliated to it. The advanced cancer diagnostics, treatment and research centre at Bathinda is also under BFUHS.
When contacted, health and medical education minister Brahm Mohindra said, "The process to select new VC will be put in motion soon. We are setting up a search committee in the medical education department and the advertisement will be issued soon."
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