2083 Vacant Posts of Teaching Faculties in Govt Medical Colleges: Patna HC Expressed Concern for De-recognition

This comes after the State Government in a supplementary affidavit informed the court that among the 3309 sanctioned posts of teaching staff including Associate Professors and Professors, a total number of 2083 posts are lying vacant.

Responding to the figures presented by the State Government, the Patna High Court bench comprising of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh orally observed on Tuesday that considering the present scenario, many government medical colleges in the State might get de-recognized.

Justice Singh was considering two petitions filed by 11 teaching staff of Govt. Medical colleges of the State.

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As per the latest media report by the Times of India, the petitioner doctors were previously employed as faculties in several medical colleges across the country. Later, they were hired as the assistant professors, associate professors, or professors in different government medical colleges across Bihar in the last 10-12 years by a high-level committee of the health department.

In fact, some of the teachers appointed at the posts of assistant or associate professors received a promotion as well to the post of Professors.

However, when they were re-selected via Bihar Public Service Commission, they were appointed at the posts of assistant professors despite being much experienced for being employed at the ranks of Professors.

Taking up the matter before the High Court, the petitioners had filed the writ petitions. The counsels for the petitioners including PK Shahi, YV Giri, and Shashi Bhushan Kumar urged the Court to direct the concerned authorities so that the experiences of these doctors get taken into account.

Informing the court that a large number of posts of Professors are still vacant in the State, they further contended that considering the experience, those doctors should be appointed at the posts of Professors.

Following this, the bench had directed the State Government on July 12 to submit the details of sanctioned and vacant posts of assistant professors, associate professors, and professors.

Responding to the Court's directions, the State in a supplementary affidavit informed the Court that the State has a total number of 3309 sanctioned posts of teaching staff including the ranks of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors. Among these, a total number of 2083 posts are lying vacant; the State has informed the Court, as reported by TOI

In the case of assistant professors, a total number of 1788 posts have been sanctioned and among these 1073 are lying vacant, whereas 409 are working as regular appointees, 306 are working on contract basis, adds the daily. 682 out of 1039 posts of Associate Professor are lying vacant. Among the posts that have been filled, 257 are filled up with regular appointments, and 100 via contract. Finally, for the post of Professors, the State has made 91 regular and 63 appointments have been made on a contract basis. In this case, 328 posts out of 482 sanctioned posts are still to be filled.

On this, the HC bench orally expressed its concern regarding the matter as so many vacant posts may cost the State medical colleges getting de-recognized for not fulfilling the basic requirements of teaching, adds TOI.

Apart from directing State to take all necessary measures for filling up these vacant posts, the bench also asked the Government to submit a reply regarding the action taken to address the grievance of the petitioners who were already working in a higher position.

Listing the matter to be next heard on August 17, the HC bench also referred to an earlier decision of the HC in 2020, where the bench had directed the State to fill up the vacant posts by regular appointments instead of recurring contractual appointments.