Controversy Erupts Among WB Medical Council Staff Over New Registrar Appointment

Mr Chakraborty served as registrar from 2016 to his retirement on 31 October 2019. In a letter to Dr. Sudipta Roy, the health department directed him to appoint a new registrar to replace Mr Chakraborty. To appoint the new registrar, the state medical council published an open advertisement in newspapers on 7 December. The advertisement invited interested candidates with a maximum age limit of 35 years, with the application deadline set for 1 January 2024, reports The Statesman.

On 25 October, the state health department, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, annulled the reappointment of Registrar Manas Chakraborty, effective from 1 November 2019.

Subsequently, the WBMC published an open advertisement on December 7, inviting applications for the position from candidates aged up to 35, with a submission deadline set for January 1, 2024.

The new age limit set by the recent advertisement, which restricts applicants to those under 35, has raised concerns that the chosen candidate could hold the position for up to 25 years, potentially disrupting the WBMC's longstanding tradition of internal promotion and experienced leadership.

For so long, the role of the registrar has been assigned by promoting from within the organization internally, for example, promoting an assistant registrar or an upper division assistant (UDA). The age of the candidate has never been a pressing issue in the appointment of the registrar. This has been the case since 1990, during which period the registrars have included people with extensive knowledge and experience such as Dilip Ghosh and Mr Chakraborty.

According to the Bengal Medical Act of 1914, it has been stated that WBMC needs approval from the government regarding the appointment of a registrar, a condition that has been allegedly ignored since Mr Chakraborty’s appointment. Assistant Registrar Swarup Dutta has filed official complaints with several senior officials, including Principal Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam and the Director of Medical Education, against the advertisement and the appointment process itself. Dutta, who boasts over 13 years of service as the senior-most assistant registrar, is seen by many as a strong candidate for the role had the council adhered to its traditional promotion-based approach.

The controversy has gained further momentum with the recent unfortunate incidents such as the rape and murder of a woman doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital on August 9. Junior and senior doctors have made it clear that they disapprove of Mr Chakraborty’s reappointment and the functioning of the WBMC under Dr Roy, urging for reforms enabling a fairer and more transparent appointment process.