MDU caught on the wrong foot
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, April 3 —Maharshi Dayanand University has been caught on the wrong foot over the election of Dr S.B. Siwaich as a member of the Medical Council of India.

Dr Siwaich, Head, Department of Medicines and Dean, Academic Affairs, at the Pandit B.D. Sharma post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), was elected member of the Medical Council in place of Dr D.S. Dubey by the university court on March 31.

The term of Dr Dubey has expired on August 16, 1998, and the Medical Council had told the university to initiate steps for holding the election to fill the vacancy on July 17, 1998. But the Vice-Chancellor reportedly decided to elect the member at a meeting of the university court.

Under Statute 18(D) of the university calendar, the medical faculty of the university comprise 53 members of whom four are experts from outside, Readers and Lecturers (four each) and 41 Professors, including the Director of the PGIMS.

Section 3(1) (B) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, says every university which has a medical college attached to it will elect one member from among the members of the medical faculty.

As per the normal practice followed by this university since its inception, the name of the Director of the PGIMS was always recommended for nomination as member of the Medical Council. But this time the tradition has been broken.

At least 37 members of the medical faculty have in separate and joint representations to the Vice-Chancellor alleged that the election was held without providing an opportunity to other members of the faculty and without following the proper procedure.

Interestingly, the university has not finalised any election rules in this regard. The draft election rules provided by the Medical Council are yet to be approved by the Executive Council of the university.

The meeting of the university court was scheduled on March 31 and until the evening of March 30, the university had not received any nomination paper. The nomination papers of Dr Siwaich were filed just an hour before the start of the meeting on March 31.

The nomination papers of Dr Siwaich, therefore, caught the university authorities unaware as it was not prepared to hold the election. Dr Dubey came to the "rescue" of the Vice-Chancellor when he announced he would not contest the election.

The "gesture" shown by Dr Dubey has failed to satisfy other members of the medical faculty. They say the election of Dr Siwaich is legally void and has no sanctity as the election notice was not circulated among the members.

The members of the medical faculty have urged the Vice-Chancellor to hold the election afresh after following due procedure to avoid any legal battle.

The election has gained significance because of the ongoing tussle between the university and the Medical Council over the migration of students to the local Government College. The Medical Council, it is learnt, has not approved the migrations made by the university in 1998.