Protect the Autonomy of AIIMS

We the members of the academic and medical fraternity lodge our strong protest at the treatment meted out to Dr. Venugopal, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences who was summarily sacked on 5th July 2006 at New Delhi. The institute is a premier teaching hospital with super-specialty services and world class credentials. The director himself is an eminent cardiologist whose only fault is his failure to appease the Health minister and carry out his dictates. In fact, Dr. Venugopal has been protecting the autonomy of AIIMS vociferously and defying those directives of the health ministry, which go against the student and teaching fraternity. The manner in which he was ousted makes a mockery of the Governing Council of AIIMS. The Health Minister who heads the Council in violation of AIIMS charter called a meeting. The removal of the director was not on the agenda but was sought through a supplementary agenda introduced without notice to members. Dr. Venugopal was asked to leave and in his absence without hearing him, the decision was taken by a voice vote disregarding the views of the dissenting members. The minister refused to divulge the details to the Press later claiming executive privilege. Inside sources revealed that the director was removed in public interest. He was asked to relinquish charge immediately and offered three months salary in lieu of notice.







It is clear that the decision to sack Dr. Venugopal was malafide. It smacks of personal vindictiveness. It has nothing to do with discharge of his duties otherwise a proper procedure would have been followed. Though many academic jobs are contractual by nature, such summary dismissals are extremely rare. In fact, Delhi University does not allow a college even to suspend a permanent employee without prior approval of the Vice-chancellor. But the Health minister observes no such niceties. He himself determines what constitutes public interest He is the accuser and the dispenser of final justice. No show-cause notice, no independent inquiry, no courtesy to an eminent doctor who served the institute with distinction for more than thirty years.















We the following demand that the recommendation of the Governing council should be rejected by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments and reinstate Dr. Venugopal to his position retrospectively. The Health minister should cease to preside over the Governing Council of AIIMS and the administrative and academic autonomy of the institute respected to enable it to regain its lost glory.