AIIMS Patna Executive Director Dismissed Over Alleged Issuance of OBC Certificate for Son's Admission

Patna: Following the findings of an inquiry report submitted by a three-member committee appointed by the government, Dr Gopal Krushna Pal, the Executive Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna, has been removed from his position. The report revealed that Dr Pal allegedly misused his authority to secure a non-creamy layer OBC certificate for his son to facilitate his admission into a PG microbiology course at AIIMS-Gorakhpur.

The Union Health Ministry has relieved Dr Gopal, who was involved in the controversy for months and gave the additional charge of Executive Director of AIIMS Patna to Dr Saurabh Varshney, the Executive Director of AIIMS Deoghar for a period of three months until further order. 

An order issued by the secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Department on Monday stated, "With reference to the complaint dated 04.09.2024, consideration of Inquiry Report dated 27.9.2024 and the reply submitted by Dr. Gopal Krushna Pal, ED, AIIMS Patna dated 10.10.2024, with the approval of Hon'ble HFM the following is conveyed:

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Dr Saurabh Varshney, executive director, AIIMS-Deoghar, is hereby assigned the additional charge of executive director, AIIMS-Patna, with immediate effect for a period of three months or until the joining of a regular executive director or until further order, whichever is earlier."

Further, the order mentioned, "Dr Pal is directed to report to the MoHFW with immediate effect until further orders."

This comes after the Union Health Ministry constituted a three-member committee to inquire into the charges of irregularity in the issuance of a non-creamy layer OBC certificate to the son of AIIMS Patna’s executive director and his admission into an MD course at AIIMS Gorakhpur.

The Committee headed by Manashvi Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recommended his removal from the position as the report revealed that Dr Pal misused and abused his official position to secure an OBC (Other Backward Classes) non-creamy layer certificate for his son to facilitate his admission to the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine course in Microbiology at AIIMS Gorakhpur.

As per a TNIE news report, the committee's report disclosed that Dr Pal, despite being fully aware of the rules, regulations, and government-issued guidelines on the classification of candidates as creamy or non-creamy layer in the OBC category, “preferred to mend, bend, and circumvent the system”.

As per the PTI news agency report, Dr Gopal Krushna Pal also held the additional charge of Executive Director of AIIMS Gorakhpur. According to reports his son, was issued a non-creamy layer OBC certificate using which he allegedly got admission to the three-year PG course in Microbiology.

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