Dean academic appointment: CAT restrains PGIMER from receiving joining report from Dr Surjit Singh

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Monday restrained PGIMER from receiving the joining report of Dr Surjit Singh, professor and head of paediatric medicine department, who was recently appointed as dean (academic).
On March 8, the Union ministry of health and family welfare had notified Dr Singh’s appointment in place of Dr NK Panda, professor and head of ENT department, who was holding the officiating charge of dean (academic).
Thereon, Dr Panda approached CAT, challenging the ministry’s order with the argument that he was the senior most professor and Dr Singh was lower in the seniority list.
As per procedure for appointment , the ministry calls for a panel from the PGIMER director for consideration. The director had sent a panel that included Dr Panda’s name and not of Dr Singh. However, the ministry notified Dr Singh’s name, it was submitted. A note on the director’s recommendations sent to the ministry was also produced before CAT wherein Dr Singh’s name was not mentioned.
Taking note of the submissions, CAT directed that the joining report of Dr Singh as dean (academic) not be accepted till April 8 and the present arrangement be continued as per which Dr Panda will continue to hold the charge.
PGIMER, in a statement on Monday, rebutted Dr Singh’s claim, reported in this newspaper, that he had taken over as the dean (academic).
The row over seniority had first emerged in April 2023 following vacation of the post. A critical post in decision-making structure of the institution, it is always held by the senior-most faculty member. Dr Singh was to take over from professor Rakesh Sehgal, former (dean academic), with effect from April 1, 2023. However, on April 24, Dr Panda was announced as officiating dean (academic), ignoring Singh’s claim of seniority.