DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Haryana government has introduced the 'Appointment of Contractual Faculty Members in Government Medical, Dental, and Nursing Colleges Policy 2023' to enhance healthcare education and services in the state.

This policy aims to expand healthcare education as the state is opening new medical colleges, thereby strengthening the state's educational infrastructure.

The State Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh accorded approval to this policy. It addresses the immediate shortage of qualified faculty members in these institutions while ensuring compliance with staffing norms set by central regulatory authorities such as the National Medical Commission (NMC), Dental Council of India (DCI), and Indian Nursing Council (INC).

Additionally, the policy focuses on maintaining appropriate student-to-teacher ratios to ensure quality education. By recruiting skilled professionals on a contractual basis, this initiative seeks to meet both the immediate and long-term healthcare needs of Haryana.

The reservation policy both vertical and horizontal, applicable from time to time for direct recruitment, will be followed in these contractual recruitment and these recruitments will be done strictly in a transparent and standardized process in accordance with the norms set by the National Medical Commission (NMC), Dental Council of India (DCI) and Indian Nursing Council (INC) respectively.

The policy shall provide the flexibility needed to rapidly fill vacancies, adjust staffing levels based on current needs, and attract specialized expertise on a short-term basis and maintain compliance with Central Regulatory Authorities.

This policy initiative by the Department of Medical Education & Research (MER) not only aims to ensure the seamless delivery of high-quality medical education and healthcare services, uninterrupted delivery of high-quality Medical Education & Healthcare Services but also to ensure availability of required number of teachers- doctors/ nurses and other faculty members in government medical dental and nursing colleges for uninterrupted and continuous teaching of undergraduate and post graduate students in these colleges. It is imperative to mention that the current recruitment process through 'Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) though undeniably thorough and designed to uphold high standards and fairness is time- consuming.

In light of the above challenges, it is essential to explore alternative hiring methods, such as contractual recruitment, which can provide the flexibility and speed needed to ensure that medical education Institutions are adequately staffed with qualified professionals.

This approach can complement the regular recruitment process, helping to mitigate the effects of staffing shortages and maintain the high standards of Medical Education.

As per the policy, recruitment will be done on the post of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor.

Similarly, for the Nursing colleges, the recruitment will be done on the post of Principal-cum-Professor, Vice Principal-cum-Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Tutor. The appointment would be for 2 years initially, extendable by another 2 years or till the regular appointments are made, whichever is earlier. The maximum age limit for teaching faculty would be

upto 70 years.
(editor@dailyworld.in)