Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered selection criteria for engagement of faculty under SO 364 of 2020, registrars, demonstrators and tutors in all government medical colleges and government dental colleges of Jammu and Kashmir. The order states 75% of the marks for selection in various disciplines for registrars and faculties posts will be based upon MBBS marks only.
According to JK administration, the health and medical education department on several occasions received representations regarding adoption of different criteria in JK for engagement of faculty and selection. The case was examined in the department and accordingly, a committee headed by principal, Government Medical College, Jammu was constituted for formulation of uniform criteria for engagement of faculty on academic arrangement basis.
The administration said extensive consultations were held with principals of all colleges across JK for the adoption of the selection criteria.
It said all the principals of government medical colleges and government dental colleges of JK submitted a proposal of uniform selection which was accepted by the administrative department.
However, the move has been opposed by Resident Doctors Association (RDA) Government Medical College Srinagar and Associated Hospitals and Resident Doctors Association (RDA) Government Medical College Jammu and Associated Hospitals.
The RDA GMC Srinagar said that the recent order with regards to selection of registrars and faculty on academic arrangement basis seem to have been issued without any due consideration to the effect it would have on doctors who have trained from national medical colleges across the country.
“The order upon even superficial inspection is very unjust and discriminatory towards the doctors who have made it to the national medical colleges of the different states of India by qualifying the highest level of competitive state and national examinations including erstwhile JKCET or existing NEET UG,” it said.
The order reads that for registrar/demonstrator appointments in various disciplines 75% of the marks will be decided based on MBBS marks only.
It is worthwhile to mention that there exists a gross disparity in the paper evaluation system between Indian medical colleges and foreign medical colleges Nevertheless, there is grading system in place in some foreign medical colleges and most of the foreign medical colleges have set different cutoffs for passing their students in contrast what we have in national medical colleges. So subjecting marks percentages from different evaluation systems to compete under a single umbrella will create an unjust system and unethical platform for future recruitments of registrars, the association said.
The repercussions unequivocally would be quite alarming and the genuine competitors would be sidelined even without taking part in competition.
The new order in first place should be revoked and in case it is implemented there has to be an unambiguous equivalence to this scoring system to equate the marks or percentage of MBBS, rather we endorse a true competitive examination in the form of MCQs, to be put in place for these posts. So that candidates are selected on the basis of pure merit, only to further strengthen our healthcare system.
We implore upon the JK administration and its policy making bodies to reconsider the decision and revoke the unjust order. This is an order with massive consequences and need to be treated and addressed with utmost care and consideration, said the body.
The RDA Jammu GMC Jammu said it strongly condemns the order regarding the appointment for posts of registrars and faculty which states that 75% of the marks for selection in various disciplines for registrars and faculties posts will be based upon MBBS marks only.
As there are different evaluation systems in different medical colleges across the country, if we also include the different modes of examination taken to conduct the university exams (subjective, objective and practical) and also keep in mind the difference in methods of markings, grading and evaluation systems, the MBBS marks certainly cannot be the only criteria to compare candidates for the above posts, and in a profession where skill outweighs marks and academics, selecting candidates on basis of MBBS marks only will be unjust, it sad.
This criterion also undermines the importance of experience, extra degrees and qualifications, research and paperwork and gives undue importance to university scores only. In a country where powerful and influential people can manipulate exams and scoring, MBBS marks certainly should not be the most important criterion for selection.
“We request the JK administration and ministry of health and medical education to give more importance to skill, research, paperwork, and fieldwork rather than academics alone which in turn will be motivational for the youth and cultivate research culture in Indian universities,” the association said.
We request the administration, to revoke this order. We appreciate the administration’s effort and interest to alleviate the standard of this noble profession. We are open to offering valuable input for any reforms regarding the recruitment of medical posts. More participation of medical professionals in decision-making will lead to more correct measures which in turn will be more beneficial for the society, the RDA body said.
