Maharashtra court mandates faculty recruitment at GMCHs

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra government to finish recruiting assistant professors at Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals (GMCHs) within three months. The court wants a report on the progress by April 28. This decision came during a hearing of a public interest litigation related to medical education. Justices Avinash Gharote and Abhay Mantri noted that the government has already finalized 680 selections for other administrative roles and issued 165 appointment orders for GMCHs. The state’s senior lawyer, Firdos Mirza, assured the court that the remaining appointments would be done in about one and a half months. The court also discussed the recruitment process for associate professors. Mirza informed the justices that the Maharashtra Public Service Commission has announced 187 approved positions. The court directed that the interviews and selection should also be completed within three months. In addition, the court raised concerns about a yearly maintenance cost of Rs 1 crore for linear accelerators used in cancer treatment. The government stated these costs would start after a five-year warranty period, but the court found the amount too high and asked for a detailed explanation. Finally, the court checked on a pending request for custom duty exemptions for medical procurement. The state government confirmed they sent a request to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. The court instructed the Union government's lawyer to gather necessary information and provide an update by April 4.