Maharashtra government asks deans to stop DSB recruitments of lecturers

NAGPUR: A latest GR (dated March 6, 2018) of the state government asking the deans of all Government Medical College and Hospitals (GMCHs) to stop recruitment of assistant professors (lecturers) through the divisional selection board (DSB) has generated discontent among the lectures in the GMCH, Nagpur, as majority of them are appointed through DSB.
DSB lecturers claim that this is denying them the basic right to work. The Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) executive secretary and president of GMCH MSMTA Dr Samir Golawar told TOI that this would set a very bad precedent and hamper the quality of medical education and patient care across the state.

“MSMTA demands that this GR be reverted immediately. When there is no system to fill the posts of the assistant professors on a regular basis, how can the government stop local DSB recruitments? The justification given by the government that the DSB lecturers seek court intervention to continue their services is not correct. The government doesn’t regularize their services for over 10-15 years and they continue to work on temporary basis for years together and hence they are left with no option but to knock the court’s doors. If the recruitments are conducted through MPSC, they will not approach court,” said Dr Golawar.

Dr Golawar also contested that lecturers were the backbone of medical education system and taught even students other than the MBBS students like the dental, BPMT, occupational and physiotherapy students, the nursing students. “Now the government has also added students of modern pharmacology. There is no separate teaching staff for these courses. If the DSB lecturers are removed what will happen to the system. It is bound to collapse. Either government should regularize them as done in 2009 and 2016 or continue them on temporary basis,” added Dr Golawar.

At present the lecturers are recruited by the dean through DSB for 120 days and the Mantralaya issues a letter of appointment for 364 days. GMCH Nagpur has about 100 lecturers, trauma centre and the Super Specialty Hospital (SSH). If these teachers are removed there will be hardly any teaching left in the college.

College dean Dr A Niswade told TOI that the GR additionally says that only bonded candidates can be appointed as lecturers. It also has a clause that if the administration still wants that these teachers are needed and should be appointed by the government, the deans should send the proposal every year with the vacant posts in April-May. “So there is hope. I have already sent the proposal,” he said.