AIIMS: Scientists protest ministry’s proposal to limit the number of years at the research project

The ministry of health and family welfare and the AIIMS administration has put forth a proposal to cap the number of years a scientist can be employed for research projects at the premier medical institute in the national capital. The researchers have been protesting for 10 days without any resolution.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) administration reportedly wants to cap the maximum period of service for a project employee at three years, with no clause for prospective implementation. This has resulted in close to 1,500 researchers protesting the move as this directive, in its present form, is expected to lead to the immediate termination of several staff, including researchers and technical staff employed in various projects at AIIMS.

“The AIIMS director M Srinivas had a meeting with the ministry officials on Thursday. We had a meeting with the Director this afternoon. None of our demands have been met. There has been no resolution and the ministry wants to cap the period of service for existing employees is likely to be six years. We may approach the court for relief,” said a representative of the Society of Young Scientists (SYS). The person did not want to be identified.

A member of the Society of Young Scientists (SYS) representing these researchers stated that impact the careers of almost every PhD scholar, non-PhD researcher, and technical staff because the research arm at AIIMS functions on a largely project-based framework. The SYS stated that it was a hasty attempt to abolish the practice of auto-regularisation of employees upon completion of 15 years of service at AIIMS in accordance with a court order.

This directive, said a member of SYS, is a direct challenge to the sanctity of the scientific community. “Several people have chosen to devote the prime years of their professional careers to the advancement of science in India despite the grave mental and financial challenges rampant in the current research environment of the country. Such directives will only pave the way for a brain drain,” said a SYS representative. The person too did not want to be identified.

In a letter to the AIIMS director, SYS pointed out that the order was completely non-viable and should be revised. They pointed out that the directive it is a direct challenge to the sanctity of the entire scientific community and stated that it was horrifically unpropitious.

Additionally, the AIIMS administration has halted the joining formalities of project employees with no prior notice since mid-June 2023. “These were candidates who were chosen through a rigorous selection process and none of the project investigators were informed about this,” explained a SYS functionary.

SYS has demanded the retraction of the directive and resumption of joining formalities until conclusive guidelines are implemented. “This will ensure that the careers of candidates-in-waiting are not unduly affected. Secondly, we have challenged the proposed revisions in their current form, and have demanded that any new guidelines may be implemented prospectively, so as to not negatively affect the project employees currently in service at AIIMS,” stated a SYS member.

The Officers’ Association of AIIMS, the AIIMS Nurses Union and the Resident Doctors Association have extended their support to the researchers. The Officers’ Association of AIIMS, in a letter to the Director, stated that the current directive should be revoked and the new guidelines should only be implemented prospectively.

Coming in support of the researchers, the Faculty Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (FAIMS) highlighted that the the arbitrary order of stopping recruitment of research project staff citing review of recruitment guidelines at the Institute has created unrest among the faculty members and research scientists.

AIIMS Research projects

AIIMS researchers have worked on early and sure diagnosis of tuberculosis and aided in the development of an anti-leprosy vaccine which is undergoing trials in Kanpur district. They are studying the the strains of the parasite responsible for a malarial epidemic, epidemiological, clinical and basic research to control liver disease.

It was research at AIIMS which defined the effect of iodine deficiency on growth and development, specially the role of thyroxine in brain development in human foetuses. Field studies done at AIIMS paved the way for the 'Universal Salt Iodisation Programme’ in 1986.