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Dr Surjit Singh takes over as PGIMER dean academics
A row had erupted last year when the PGIMER administration appointed Dr Naresh K Panda, professor & head of otolaryngology (ENT) department, as the officiating dean academic, which, Dr Singh, claimed was done after ignoring his seniority.
After a controversy spanning 11 months regarding the appointment of the dean of academic at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Professor Dr Surjit Singh officially assumed the position on Saturday, following orders from the Ministry of health and family welfare issued on March 8. Dr Singh will now hold the post till August 2025.
A row had erupted last year when the PGIMER administration appointed Dr Naresh K Panda, professor & head of otolaryngology (ENT) department, as the officiating dean academic, which, Dr Singh, claimed was done after ignoring his seniority.
The Ministry of health & family welfare, through its order, directed PGI director Dr Vivek Lal to appoint Dr Surjit Singh, professor & head of paediatric medicine department, as dean academic, Dr Naresh K Panda, professor & head of otolaryngology (ENT) department, as the dean of research, Dr Radha Kanta Ratho, from the virology department as the sub-dean of academic, and Dr Sanjay Jain from internal medicine as the sub-dean of research. Dr Singh confirmed that he had taken over the charge on Saturday from Dr Panda.
After completing MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, Dr Singh joined PGIMER as a resident doctor in 1984. He specialises in paediatric rheumatology, especially the Kawasaki disease, and primary immunodeficiency diseases. Singh had served as officiating director between November 2021 and May 2022 when Dr Vivek Lal took over from him.
Row over seniority list
In April 2023, a row over seniority had emerged following the vacation of the post. In July 2023, the appointment of Dr Naresh K Panda as dean academic was decided, on the basis of a report submitted by a high-powered committee after examining the seniority list. Though PGI director Dr Lal confirmed that Dr Panda is set to be dean academic according to seniority list, no appointment notification was issued.
The committee, led by professor (emeritus) Digamber Behera, former head of department of pulmonary medicine and dean (research), examined the seniority of certain faculty members, following which the updated provisional seniority list of senior professors (HAG), as of July 27, 2023, was circulated for the information of all parties concerned.
As per that updated seniority list, Dr Panda held the top position, followed by Dr Radha Kanta Ratho from the virology department, Dr Sanjay Jain from internal medicine and Dr Singh from paediatrics. Since then, Dr Panda was holding the position. However, the institute’s faculty association had demanded review of the list based on a “standardised set of rules and norms”.
Allegations against Dr Lal
Dr Singh accused Dr Lal of making “malafide attempts” to keep him away from the post of dean academic, stating that he had refused to accede to Lal’s “illegal demands” made in respect of the latter’s son, an MD student at the institute.
Earlier, in a confidential letter to Union health minister, Dr Mansukh L Mandaviya, Dr Singh had alleged “the enmity is manifesting in many ways and Lal has been harassing and humiliating him at every step and creating difficulties in his day-to-day work”. HT had seen the content of the two-page letter that was also marked to Lal.
Dr Singh was to take over from Professor Rakesh Sehgal (former dean academic) with effect from April 1, 2023. However, on April 24, Panda was announced as officiating dean academic, ignoring Singh’s claim of seniority, it was stated.
There is nothing in the public domain as to what prompted the institute to depart from the past practice. Dean academic has always been the senior-most faculty at the institute, it is learnt.
Director Dr Vivek Lal did not respond to calls and text messages by this HT reporter for a response.
