NEW DELHI: The Institute Body of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is functioning without a president for nearly nine months. No one has been elected or nominated for the post since Mansukh Mandaviya took over as Union Health Minister. Not just that. The body responsible for taking crucial policy decisions does not have the total strength of members that can nominate a president.
According to sources, Mandaviya is conducting interactive meetings in an unofficial capacity. No official notification has been issued for the post of president. Due to this, several policy-related issues - which require all the members of the body for decision making - have got delayed. These include the issue of salary for foreign nationals studying in the institute.
As per the The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Act, 1956, there shall be a president for every institute. He shall be nominated by the Central government, from among the members other than the director of the institute.
When contacted, a senior official from the health ministry told The New Indian Express that no notification has been issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on this. "There has been no notification so far from the PMO with respect to the nomination to this post of the Institute Body of AIIMS," he said.
However, ministry officials also claimed that while the minister can conduct operations of the Delhi branch of the institute, he cannot preside over other AIIMS branches as president. Attempts to get in touch with AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria proved futile.
As per the Gazette Notification issued on December 6, 2021, four representatives of the medical faculties of Indian universities, under sub-section 4(f), will be nominated by the Centre in a manner prescribed by rules.
Former director of AIIMS, Dr RC Deka said after the structure of the body is constituted, it can elect the president. "As per provision of the act in the past, four persons can be nominated, out of which one is the health minister and after the structure of the body is constituted, the Institute Body elects the president," said Dr Deka.
Deka said that on occasions, the health minister has also been the president of the institute, but it is not the norm and the health minister by the virtue of being a minister cannot be the president. "Some cases have been in dispute and have also reached the Supreme Court," he added.
Dr Deka said the procedure is that the Institute Body will elect the president. "AIIMS is an autonomous body by an act of Parliament and is not under the health ministry. However, it is the nodal ministry which provides funds as demanded by the institute," he said.
Salaries delayed
The several policy-related matters pending include foreign nationals working without salaries for a long time