BHUBANESWAR: Even as the guidelines of the Ministry of AYUSH mandate post graduation (PG) qualification as a prerequisite to join as professor and reader in medical colleges, a recent notification of the State AYUSH Directorate allowing non PG candidates to apply for the posts has left many perplexed.
The notification issued on December 2 seeks applications from eligible candidates for contractual appointment in 13 posts of professor and 40 posts of reader in the government homeopathic medical colleges. The interview has been scheduled for December 18.
As per the eligibility criteria, those who have retired as professor and reader from government homeopathic medical colleges can apply for the posts. Readers having at least three years of teaching experience and lecturers having five years of teaching experience in such colleges can also apply for the posts of professor and reader respectively.
In case of non-availability of government retired teachers, candidature of professor/reader from private homeopathic medical colleges having at least three years of teaching experience will also be considered for professor posts. In-service teachers of private colleges with requisite qualification and teaching experience of five years are eligible for the posts of reader.
Although PG qualification is mandatory, the candidates retired from Government colleges without PG qualification, but having requisite teaching experience will be considered in case of non-availability of suitable candidates with PG degree.
Several aspirants with PG qualification alleged the notification allowing non-PG candidates violates the recruitment guideline of both the State government and the Centre. “No such relaxation was given in the previous appointments. Earlier teaching experience of four years and six years for professor and reader posts respectively was being considered. It is not only being done in contravention of the law, but will also compromise the quality of education,” they pointed out.
Some professors expressed apprehension of manipulation by private college lecturers and claimed there is every chance that they may produce fake experience certificates to grab the posts since the recruitment is being done without any written examination.
AYUSH Director Trilochan Majhi, however, refuted the allegations. He said only retired professors or readers from government Colleges without having PG qualification are eligible to apply. “No illegality has been done. All engagement is purely on contractual basis with a fixed consolidated remuneration. While a professor will get a consolidated amount of Rs 50,000, reader will get Rs 40,000 per month,” he said.