E-Paper
Seniority determined, Dr Naresh K Panda set to be PGIMER’s dean academics
The appointment was decided on the basis of a report submitted by a high-powered committee after examining the seniority list, said PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal; however, the appointment notification is awaited
Dr Naresh K Panda is set to be dean academics at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), hospital director Dr Vivek Lal confirmed on Friday.
The appointment was decided on the basis of a report submitted by a high-powered committee after examining the seniority list, said Dr Lal. However, the appointment notification is awaited.
The committee, led by professor (emeritus) Digamber Behera, former head of department of pulmonary medicine and dean (research), examined the seniority position of certain faculty members, following which the updated provisional seniority list of senior professors (HAG), as of July 27, 2023, has been circulated for the information of all parties concerned.
As per the updated seniority list, Dr Panda holds the top position, followed by Dr Radha Kanta Ratho from the virology department, Dr Sanjay Jain from internal medicine and Dr Surjit Singh Samlok from paediatrics.
Since April, Dr Panda, head of the ENT department and sub-dean (academics), was already holding the additional charge of dean academics.
Recently, Dr Surjit, a former officiating director of the institute, had claimed seniority and accused Dr Lal of making “mala fide attempts” to keep him away from the dean academics post, as he had refused to accede to Lal’s “illegal demands” made in respect of the latter’s son, an MD student at the institute. He had made the allegations in a letter to the Union health minister.
Expressing his dissatisfaction over Dr Panda’s selection, Dr Surjit Singh said, “True to expectations, they have altered the seniority list, pushing my name down from Number 1 to No. 4. This is preposterous.”
