Recruitment irregularities noticed at Delhi’s AIIMS

Two OBC vacancies not filled for the post of ‘Receptionist’

Pankaj Patrakaar

New Delhi, Feb. 24 (Delhi Crown): Gross irregularities in the recruitment process of “Receptionists” have come to the fore at the Central Government-owned premier health institute – the “All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)” based in Delhi.

Two vacancies reserved for OBCs (Other Backward Classes) have not been filled for the post of Receptionist, and the successful candidates were not informed about their final Result through any mode of communication, sources confirmed.

Delhi’s AIIMS is still remembered for anti-OBC quota stir in December 2006, which was given much publicity by the mainstream media.

Doctors here had gone on an indefinite hunger strike 15 years ago against the Lok Sabha’s approval to the Bill reserving 27 per cent seats for OBCs in centrally-aided institutions.

In 2020 as many as 13 vacancies for the post of “Receptionist” in the Media Protocol Division at AIIMS Delhi/Jhajjar were announced by the prestigious health institute, the result of which were announced last year. But, till date only nine candidates have joined.

Out of the 13 vacancies, seven (including one for Person With Disability) were for General Category, three reserved for OBCs, two for SCs and one for ST. While no candidates were found in the PWD and ST categories, two posts reserved for the OBCs have not been filled, and are still lying vacant.

In reply to an RTI filed by this journalist, AIIMS revealed that a total of 98 candidates, including males and females, had applied for the post of Receptionist, out of which 52 appeared for the exam.

In order to clear the examination, AIIMS had made it mandatory for the OBC candidates to score at least 45% marks, and for claiming the NCL-OBC quota they were required to possess a Certificate issued during the financial year 2020-21.

In the RTI reply the AIIMS Administration also claimed to have communicated the final Result to the successful candidates through emails and regular posts. However, the sources at AIIMS denied this, saying – “They did not send any email(s) or regular posts communicating the result to candidates. The candidates themselves approached the AIIMS Administration to know their fate. Later, they gathered that there was a dispute between the agency which conducted the exam and the AIIMS Administration as to who was supposed to send the communication to the successful candidates.”

In reply to a query regarding anomalies in not filling two OBC vacancies for the post of Receptionist, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said – “Only three candidates from the OBC category qualified the exam. One was allotted an Unreserved seat on own merit, two were allotted OBC seats of whom one joined and one did not join. Thus, only one of three OBC seats are filled.”

According to Dr Guleria, “One OBC candidate did not report for documents verification.”

He added – “Since no OBC candidates are in reserve panel, two OBC vacant posts are being advertised again.

Interestingly, the advertisement announcing the vacancies for the post of “Receptionist” mentioned that the desired candidates should possess a Diploma/Degree in Mass Communication/Journalism.