BHUBANESWAR: The newly-established Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) has stepped into a controversy for its alleged attempt to appoint a management graduate with no experience in medical academics as examination consultant despite rejection of his candidature twice.
Sources close to the development said the university authorities have been pressurising the Health and Family Welfare department to approve the candidature of the person as examination consultant for a period of one year on contractual basis. The candidate, who holds a PhD degree in business administration, has reportedly been shortlisted by a committee led by NHM director.
The move while causing serious discontent among the medical education fraternity had raised questions of ulterior motives as the same committee in which director of medical education and training (DMET) was a member had rejected his application in March citing that he was not from medical background.
Since all colleges offering undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in health sciences will come under the ambit of OUHS, the Health and Family Welfare department, decided to engage one consultant-examination to prepare the regulation, manual, scope for in-house end-to-end automation of examination processes and services for functionalisation of the university for a period of one year.
Accordingly, the DMET brought out an advertisement for the engagement of the consultant. As per criteria fixed by the directorate, the candidate must have minimum 15 years of teaching experience and worked in the similar position and cadre with a minimum period of five years’ experience in a state affiliating university or autonomous institution. Candidates having past experience of working in the same capacity as controller/director, examinations in other university of health sciences/universities/state or Central government autonomous institutions offering health science courses were to be given preference.
Sources said the candidate, who has been shortlisted for the post, was director, examinations of BPUT for a period of around three years and this is ground the OUHS authorities have been citing to take him on board even if he is from non-medical profession. “After he was rejected first by the committee in March, the directorate reissued another advertisement in April and this time he was selected as there was no other applicant. The authorities are insisting on the department to approve his selection citing that there is dearth of professionals with requisite experience,” the sources informed.
Earlier, he had tried to get his application through when Naba Kishore Das was the Health Minister. But the minister had rejected his move twice.Health secretary Shalini Pandit did not respond to queries from The New Indian Express.