Tussle at IGIMS Patna: Principal alleges humiliation, torture, writes to state health dept

Patna: Pointing out the violation of existing norms, the principal of Patna-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) has alleged being 'humiliated' after a medical college professor was made faculty in-charge of the medical college.

Writing to the State Health Department, the IGIMS Principal, Dr Ranjeet Guha, alleged that due to the "humiliation and torture", he has been facing depression, which is getting "so acute and intense" that he "sometimes feel to kick the bucket by committing suicide”.

Even though Dr Guha has been working as the college principal since 2017, he alleged that Dr. Awanish Kumar was appointed as faculty-in-charge back in February 2024, violating the BOG (Board of Governors) resolution.

Referring to the officer order dated 15.10.2018 and BOG resolution in the light of the proceeding of 21st SAC, Dr. Guha mentioned in the letter that as the principal of IGIMS, he "is Faculty I/c of Medical College and there can't be another extra Faculty I/c of Medical College who otherwise will become another Principal in addition to" him.

Despite such rules, a faculty member was made faculty-in-charge in February 2024, and as per Dr. Guha, the officer to whom the Director assigned the additional charge started indecently behaving with him.

"Violating BOG resolution, one Faculty I/c Medical College was appointed by the Director, IGIMS, Patna vide office order Ref.No. 46/DC dated 28.02.2024. Unfortunately, the officer to whom Director assigned this additional charge has started behaving with me unbecomingly in an extremely indecent manner as he is considering himself as another Principal. The torture and humiliation I am facing every now and then demoralized, disheartened, devastated and dispirited me in such a way that I feel absolutely dejected," Dr Guha mentioned in the letter.

"My dignity has been shattered by asking me to vacate my room in the office of the Principal and my furnitures provided by the institute with one refrigerator and one big colour photocopy machine were thrown away outside the Principal's enclave by the Faculty I/c Medical College. My safety and security are also at stake. The so called "Faculty I/c Medical College' comes anytime with a group of 14-16 faculty members and they indulge in all sorts of nuisance in front of me inside the Principal's enclave. All staff of my office are extremely horrified and afraid of the "Faculty Incharge Medical College" and his team owing to the irrational, illegitimate and ill-founded behavior of him. No student, parent or any other visitor can meet me as the guest lobby inside my enclave mostly remains occupied by the said team," the letter dated 19.02.2025 further stated.

Alleging that the situation has led to depression, Dr. Guha added in the letter, "Keeping the above facts in limelight, I don't feel like coming to my office with so much of humiliation and torture which I never faced in my professional life in any institute and even in IGIMS before. My depression is getting so acute and intense that I sometimes feel to kick the bucket by committing suicide."

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As per the latest media report by Indian Express, a professor in anatomy, Dr. Guha wrote about his grievances to Bihar's additional Health Secretary (Health) Pratyaya Amrit on February 9, and he met Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey last week over "not being able to function properly".

Meanwhile, Dr. Awanish Kumar, who was made faculty-in-charge, informed the Indian Express that his post was neither sanctioned nor ad hoc. His appointment letter from the IGIMS Director stated that the move was made to "enhance the efficiency of the medical college and promptly address the concerns brought forth by both undergraduate and post-graduate students".

Commenting on the matter, Dr. Kumar told Indian Express, "It is just delegating additional responsibility by the director to assist the college principal." He further added, "As files would pile up when the principal goes on leave, I’m given the task to dispose of the files. But the principal alone remains the signing authority."

Although he admitted that Dr. Guha's name plate was replaced with his own, he claimed that it was "with his permission". He claimed, "Dr Guha, anyway, has been sitting in another office."

An official in the Bihar Health Department said that the allegations were "being looked into at the level of the health minister and the department's additional chief secretary".

Meanwhile, reacting to the news, a doctor who works at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital wrote on Facebook, "It’s good that our Hon’ble Heath minister has taken serious note of this ongoing tussle between Director & Principal before it becomes too murkier! Let’s see what comes out of the 1st April GB meeting! IGIMS, though undoubtedly a premier institution of BIHAR, has always been in controversy due to Groupism & alleged caste politics! Now, as it is soaring high after a delayed stuttering start, let’s hope that it will do away with its ill fame of being hot bed of controversy!"

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