AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh faculty get support from Doctors' associations for Rotatory Headship

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing demand for the implementation of Rotatory Headship- a democratic and transparent leadership system, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) have extended their support to the Faculty Associations of AIIMS, Delhi, and PGIMER, Chandigarh.

In a letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, the IMA said it has received an email from FAIMS and FA-PGIMER on the issue and emphasised that this reform is a long-standing recommendation of various internal committees and has already been adopted successfully by leading national institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, JIPMER, NIMHANS, BHU and CMC Vellore, among others.

According to the PTI news agency, the letter said, "IMA extends its full support for the joint representation made by the Faculty Association of AIIMS, New Delhi and the Faculty Association of PGIMER, Chandigarh, requesting the implementation of Rotatory Headship in their respective institutions, as directed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in July 2023".

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Globally, this model of democratic academic leadership is a standard practice in universities of international repute, including Oxford and Harvard, it stated.

"We believe that timely action on this matter will not only uphold the principles of academic equity and transparency but also reinforce India's commitment to global best practices in institutional governance," the letter by IMA on Tuesday said.

The DMA, in its letter to Nadda, said that despite nearly a year of having passed, the policy remains unimplemented.

"This prolonged delay has demoralized dedicated faculty, caused institutional stagnation, and undermined the principles of fairness and accountability in academic leadership," it said.

The DMA sought the enforcement of the MoHFW directive from July 2023 at the earliest.

"Institutionalize Rotatory Headship as a national policy for all centrally funded and NMC-recognized medical Institution in India," it said.

Both the Faculty Association of AIIMS, Delhi, and the Faculty Association of PGIMER, Chandigarh, have been demanding immediate implementation of Rotatory Headship, a democratic and transparent leadership system long overdue at these premier institutions.

Also Read:Rotatory Headship being reviewed by Health Ministry: PGIMER Director