Shot in arm for PGI faculty, rotatory headship on cards in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, March 26

After years of struggle by the Faculty Association of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI), a decision on the implementation of rotatory headship is expected to be taken in the first week of April.

Sources say the committee constituted to consider the proposal has recommended the applicability of this system for well-established institutions such as AIIMS, Delhi, and the PGI and will most likely be given the green light.

Rotatory headship is a system of appointing the head of an institution on a rotation basis among faculty members. It is aimed at ensuring accountability, shared responsibility, cooperative work culture and promoting equality within the institution.

The Faculty Association has been demanding the implementation of this system for over a decade. The association had approved rotatory headship several times at its general body meetings by a majority vote.

According to sources, the five-member expert committee constituted to consider the proposal deliberated on the matter and recommended the applicability of rotatory headship for well-established institutions.

The committee is said to have concluded the system has been running perfectly at other institutions such as the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, which implemented rotatory headship in 2013 and 1994, respectively.

The committee comprises experts from various fields, including NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul; former PGI directors Dr KK Talwar and Dr Jagat Ram; former AIIMS-Delhi director Dr MC Misra; former ICMR DG and JIPMER president Dr VM Katoch; and IIT-Kanpur director Dr Abhay Karandikar.

Once approved, the system is expected to improve the functioning of the premier institute and ensure equal opportunities for faculty. Panjab University follows rotatory headship wherein faculty members get a chance to head the department for three years.

Running seamlessly in other institutions

Five-member expert panel was formed to consider proposal and it has now recommended implementation of rotatory headship for established institutions. Institutions such as JIPMER, Puducherry, and NIMHANS, Bengaluru, implemented system in 2013 and 1994, respectively, and has been running seamlessly, say sources.

Equal opportunity to head department

• Under rotatory system, head of department is appointed on a rotation basis among faculty. Aim is to ensure accountability, give equal opportunity
• At present, the senior-most faculty member is given charge of head of the department and remains in saddle till he/she superannuates
• Faculty Association has been demanding implementation of new system for over a decade and has approved it several times at general body meet
• Panjab University follows rotatory headship wherein every faculty member gets chance of heading the department for a period of three years

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