Govt reduced our pay scales : Decry AIIMS Faculty

New Delhi: : The recent revision of the pay scales introduced by the Central Government for employees of autonomous institutions has indeed not gone well with the AIIMS doctors, who have shown strong objection to the government's move. Faculty members at AIIMS have pointed out that with the implementation of the seventh pay commission their salaries will be diluted as the Centre has reduced entry pay for various positions at the institute under the Seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC).

A recent report in New Indian Express states that Faculty at AIIMS, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry are currently paid 10-13 per cent more than their counterparts at IITs and IIMs and about 20 per cent more than teachers at Central Universities.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that through a recent notification, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced the revision of pay of faculty members of autonomous bodies including those of AIIMS, New Delhi, PGIMER, Chandigarh and JIPMER, Puducherry but putting all in the same bracket

Read Also : Pay revision announced for faculty of AIIMS, PGIMER and JIPMER

Responding to the notification,  AIIMS faculty  recently wrote a letter to the director explaining the new and old pay scale as per which the new seventh pay commission policy is reducing their salaies.The doctor stated that with the notification, the scales of pay of AIIMS faculty have been diluted. The entry pay under comparative sixth pay commission positions at IIT is less than the entry pay at AIIMS under the pay commission. Applying 7th Pay commission scales for AIIMS on the IIT pay scales results in devaluing AIIMS faculty.

Academic Grade Pay	Post at AIIMS	Entry Pay (including Grade pay) at AIIMS	Entry Pay as per Amex I of MOHRD Order (Level)
8000	Assistant Professor	38000	38000 (12)
9000	Associate Professor	51800	49200 (13A1)
9500	Additional Professor	55500	52300 (13A2)
10500	Professor	62100	58500(14A)

"It is for the first time that they have linked revised pay scales of autonomous institutions under MHRD with those of autonomous institutions under the Health Ministry. We were not told why this decision was taken," an AIIMS faculty member said.

Faculty Association of AIIMs president C S Bal told New Indian Express , "The government's decision will end up slashing entry pay of doctors at top-line medical institutes in the country. "This means that while all other Central government employees will see considerable rise in their salaries as they get benefitted from the 7th pay panel, our salaries will see 10-13 per cent drop," Bal said.

"We have sought a meeting with the ministry regarding this decision. We have also written to the AIIMS director. The pay scales at AIIMS have been diluted. Under the Sixth CPC, the entry pay at IIT is less than at AIIMS. But if you apply the same pay scales under the Seventh CPC for AIIMS and IIT, it would devalue AIIMS faculty," a senior member of the AIIMS faculty told The Indian Express.

Read also: Doctors feel cheated with 7th Pay Commission