The Forum for Rights and Equality, AIIMS, has written to the Institute director Prof. R. C. Deka stating that the premier organisation has been flouting the government policy of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) in the recruitment/selection for B.Sc and M.Sc. nursing courses.
“This is rather painful and disheartening to note that the process of infraction of government policy of reservation for SC/ST that has gravely affected the faculty, resident and the MBBS recruitment/selection respectively has now engulfed the B.Sc. and M.Sc. nursing course of AIIMS,” noted the letter.
“A look at the prospectus (August 2011 Session) page 6 reveals that 18 seats of M.Sc. Nursing has been divided into 14 unreserved and four Other Backward Castes. There is no reservation for SC/ST. Also of the 60 seats for B.Sc. (Honours) Nursing has been divided - 39 unreserved, seven SC, four ST and 10 OBC. The number of seats for SC/ST ought to be nine and five respectively as per their entitlement prescribed in the prospectus itself,” noted the letter.
The letter further notes that the prospectus categorically mentions under the title ‘Reservation of Seats' -- 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent of the seats are reserved for candidates belonging to the SC/ST communities respectively.
“It is also significant to note that there is no mention of OBC reservation in the paragraph on page 6 of the prospectus. The record reveals that the aforesaid denial of reservation started at a time 2009-2010. We are surprised at how AIIMS can allow such violation and request the AIIMS director to immediately put the process of admission on hold pending the due correction being made in terms of protecting the Constitutional rights of SC/ST and awarding them the entitled number of seats,” noted the Forum.
“We demand that a time-bound inquiry be conducted to fix the responsibility and strict action taken against the guilty,” demanded the Forum.
AIIMS spokesperson Dr. Y. K. Gupta, however, pointed out that the Institute follows the Government reservation policy for all selections.
